Thunder
by xScarlettDesirex
Summary: Watch their romance unfold, from the sweet times they share, to the storms they face. So bring on the rain, and bring on the thunder. It's good, I promise. JILEY COMPLETE! Epilogue now up.
1. Thunder

_Today is a winding road that's taking me to places that I didn't want to go  
Whoa (whoa, whoa, whoa)_

Jake Ryan sat in his living room thinking about his life. Sure, being a star had its advantages - girls, cars, and parties. But it also had its disadvantages - mobs, paparazzi, no Miley...

Miley.

The girl who won his heart over in a matter of seconds. Too bad she hated his guts. But that's what attracted him to her in the first place; she didn't fall over him like some love-sick puppy just because he was famous. It was refreshing to know that there was someone out there who thinks of him as a normal human being. Of course, the fact that she's absolutely breathtaking helped a lot as well, but she didn't try to make herself that way. She was a natural beauty, and had a glowing aura that surrounded her.

_Today in the blink of an eye, I'm holding on to something and I do not know why I tried_

Jake sighed and sank into the couch, looking up at the ceiling. Why was his heart sticking with Miley? He knew that she didn't like him at all, yet his heart refused to move on. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't seem to leave her; there was just something about her that made his heart beat wildly in his chest.

_I tried to read between the lines  
I tried to look in your eyes_

He tried everything to get her to notice him - his good looks, his popularity, his stardom - and he got nothing from her. He thought that maybe she was only pretending to dislike him, but every time he tried to read her actions or look in her eyes, he could only see contempt staring right back at him.

_I want a simple explanation  
For what I'm feeling inside_

He couldn't take this anymore. The butterflies in his chest were bouncing around as if they were on a sugar rush. Jake Ryan did not get butterflies. He's Jake Ryan for christ's sake! How could he feel something so powerful for someone who couldn't even stand the sight of him? How could he feel this way toward anyone? He was an incredibly attractive boy, who could get any person he desired.

Except her.

God, why did this have to be so difficult? Why did he have to pick her?

Because she wants something other than good looks. Because she wants substance. Because she wants reality...

_I gotta find a way out  
Maybe there's a way out_

Jake sighed once again. He needed to clear his mind. All of this was giving him a headache and an even worse heartache. He knew there was no way that Miley would ever consider liking him, and constantly thinking about her would cause his heart to explode.

"Maybe a walk on the beach will help clear my mind. I could use the air anyway."

He started walking toward the ocean, loving the feel of the wet sand between his toes. The ocean breeze began to whip lightly at his face, and he couldn't help but breathe in the salty air. He closed his eyes as he felt his body relax and his mind drift away.

_Your voice was the soundtrack of my summer  
Do you know you're unlike any other?  
You'll always be my thunder, and I said_

Memories faded into his mind's eye and he couldn't help but smile.

He remembered when he came over to her house to apologize for being a jerk at school that day, when some music drifted from the back. He crept around to her deck and stopped. There was Miley, strumming her guitar on her balcony. He was about to make his presence known, until he heard her softly begin to sing. It was the sweetest voice he had ever heard and he couldn't help but be mesmerized. She never noticed him standing there, and he never planned on telling her.

He always remembered her voice, and at night, he could always hear her singing in his dreams. He loved listening to her sing, and he cherished that he was one of the few people who had ever heard her.

_Your eyes are the brightest of all the colors  
I don't wanna ever love another  
You'll always be my thunder_

As that memory drifted away, another one came.

Her bright, vivid, blue eyes stared straight at him. They were the color of morning rain. He could never forget them, even if he tried. They were embedded into his mind forever.

Jake knew that he'd wouldn't and couldn't feel the way he did for anyone but her. Even though she would probably never feel the same way, he didn't want to let go of her, because letting go of her would mean letting go of his memories of her. He wanted to hold on to those memories and never let go.

_So bring on the rain  
And bring on the thunder_

Jake suddenly collided into a soft body and he felt both of them tumble onto the ground._  
_

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_

_Today is a winding road  
Tell me where to start and tell me something I don't know  
Whoa (whoa, whoa, whoa)_

Miley Stewart laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about the one kid that got under her skin more than anyone she'd ever met.

Jake Ryan.

God how she couldn't stand him - always using his stardom to get everything he wants. His ego was bigger than Aunt Dolly's hair, and that's saying something. Then again, there were times when he could be really sweet, like the time he told Amber and Ashley to back off after they insulted Miley's deceased mother. Miley couldn't help but smile at the memory, but that smile turned into a scowl when she realized what she was doing. She couldn't think that he was sweet, because that would mean that she didn't completely hate him, and if she didn't completely hate him, then that would mean that a tiny part of her liked him.

Now that was just unacceptable. She did _not_ like Jake Ryan. That would be blasphemous!

"Jake Ryan is self-centered, obnoxious, a pain in the ass, cute, sweet, charming, a total hottie..." she clasped a hand over her mouth to stop herself.

Dear God! Did she really just say that? Could it be that deep down, Miley actually liked the Zombie Slayer? Maybe thats why her heart always raced when she was near him and she got butterflies the size of Mt. Rushmore whenever he talked to her. Maybe thats why there seemed to be a crackle of electricity in the air between the two of them when they argued. Maybe that's why she constantly thought about him day and night.

_Today I'm on my own  
I can't move a muscle and I can't pick up the phone  
I don't know (I don't know, I don't know, I don't know)_

Miley couldn't move. This revelation had her head spinning.

Could that really be the answer to everything?

She needed to talk to someone about this. Her dad was out on Hannah business and Jackson was at work. She tried reaching for her phone, but her body felt like a dead weight. She couldn't feel her arms or legs - only her fluttering heart. So she stayed where she was, lying spread eagle on her bed. After a few moments, she pushed herself up and sat on her bed.

"I like Jake Ryan" she whispered softly. Her heart jumped in her chest lightly at her admission.

"I like Jake Ryan" she repeated, a little louder. Her heart started racing even more. She jumped up on her bed.

"I like Jake Ryan!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She felt like her heart was beating so hard that it was about to burst out of her chest.

And suddenly, a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She couldn't help but smile.

_And now I'm itching for the tall grass  
And longing for the breeze  
I need to step outside  
Just to see if I can breathe_

Her heart was still racing and she couldn't breathe. She felt like there was no air in her system - only happy gas that made her smile and laugh and grin. She needed to get out of her room before she suffocated from the intense feeling in her heart. She glanced out her window and saw the ocean. Her eyes lit up at the thought of a walk on the beach. It was, after all, a beautiful day outside, and she wanted to feel the breeze on her face.

_I gotta find a way out  
Maybe theres a way out_

She slipped on her shoes by the doorway and walked toward the ocean. Once there, she took off her shoes so she could sink her toes in the sand. The salty breeze whipped at her face and hair, and she couldn't help but relax. She closed her eyes as she let the smell of the salty water engulf her and she let her mind drifted away.

_Your voice was the soundtrack of my summer  
Do you know you're unlike any other?  
You'll always be my thunder, and I said_

Memories sped by in her mind, but one caught her attention.

It was the day when she and Jake had gotten detention for disturbing the peace with their verbal spat. After their detention, she went to her locker to get her things, when she heard Jake talking. She was about to tell him to stop talking to himself, but she froze as she turned the corner. There was Jake, reading a poem he wrote about a girl he loved. It was the sweetest poem she had ever heard, and when he finished, she had tears in her eyes. She'd never heard Jake speak so passionately before and silently wished that someone would write a poem as beautiful as that for her one day. He never noticed her standing there, and she never planned on telling him.

She always remembered that poem and the passionate voice that went along with it. She'd hear it in her dreams and pretend it was her true love speaking to her. She knew all of the words by heart and knew that she'd never forget them for as long as she lived.

_Your eyes are the brightest of all the colors  
I don't wanna ever love another  
You'll always be my thunder_

As that memory faded away, another slowly came into view.

His striking, bright green eyes. They always seemed to sparkle when they argued. She could remember them distinctly and would never forget them. They were burned into her mind forever.

She had never felt this way for someone before. Sure, she's had crushes before, but they had never gone to this extent. Even though she only admitted it this morning, she had a feeling that she had always liked Jake; she just didn't want to come out and say it.

_So bring on the rain  
And bring on the thunder_

Miley suddenly collided into a hard body and she felt both of them tumble onto the ground.

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_Yeah I'm walking on a tightrope  
I'm wrapped up in vines_

After falling onto the soft sand, Jake and Miley opened their eyes, ready to tell off the person that knocked them down. Blue eyes locked onto green ones and the world stopped for just a few seconds. They broke eye contact and looked everywhere except at each other.

Regaining his senses, Jake got up and held out a hand to Miley. When their hands touched, a small spark shot through them, causing Miley to jump slightly. Jake grasped her hand again and pulled her up from the ground. He pulled her a bit too strongly, causing her to be flush against his body. A slight blush broke out on her cheeks at the position they were in. She pulled away and they stood their awkwardly, neither knowing what to say.

_I think we'll make it out  
But you just gotta give me time_

Jake opened his mouth to say something, but quickly snapped it shut. He wanted so badly to tell her how he felt; how his heart beat wildly for her and how he drowns in the sweet smell of her perfume every time she's near him. But he couldn't get the words out. Rejection was not a common word in his vocabulary, and the few times it came up, it nearly killed his self-esteem. He didn't want to risk it. Yes, Jake Ryan was a coward.

Miley, too, tried opening her mouth to say something, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She wanted to scream out her feelings for him just like she did in her room, but the fear of rejection stopped her. He was Jake Ryan, super star extraordinaire and one of the hottest people alive. She was just plain, old, Miley Stewart. She wasn't good enough for him, what was she thinking? If she admitted her feelings, he'd probably laugh in her face.

_Strike me down with lightning_

Jake looked at Miley and saw the internal battle in her eyes. He knew he had to tell her - if he didn't tell her now, he'd never be able to tell her again, and he knew he couldn't carry this secret forever.

'Who cares if she doesn't feel the same? At least I'll know how she feels instead of always hoping' he thought to himself._  
_

_Let me feel you in my veins_

Miley couldn't keep this bottled up anymore. She had already hidden her feelings for Jake from herself for a long time, there's no way she'd be able to hide them from Jake for much longer.

'At least he'll know how I feel, and if he doesn't feel the same, then I won't have to go around hoping' she thought._  
_

_I wanna let you know how much I feel your pain_

"I like you!" both of them blurted out at the same time. Their eyes widened in shock at each other's confession and their hearts went into overdrive. The only sound heard was the gentle crashing of the waves and the soft cries of the pelicans.

Jake hesitantly stepped toward her, thinking that Miley would disappear and he'd wake up in his living room. When she didn't move, he internally breathed a sigh of relief.

'So it's not a dream, then'

Miley watched as Jake approached her. Her feet were glued to the sand and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Could it really be that Jake Ryan liked her, Miley Stewart?

She looked up at his sea-green eyes just as the sun's rays caught them. She couldn't help but softly gasp as she saw them sparkling back at her.

"Is it true?" he whispered. At her confused expression, he added, "Is what you just said true? Do you like me?"

She gulped nervously; it was now or never, and suddenly she wished she had chosen never. Miley closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. She answered him softly.

"Yes"

Jake couldn't believe it. The girl of his dreams told him that she felt the same way that he felt. Inside, he was jumping for joy and screaming at the top of his lungs. He lifted Miley off the ground and spun her around in the air. She laughed lightly and her sweet voice echoed in his ears. Now he had another memory to put in his bank, and this one was even better than his first memory of her. He gently put her down and rested his forehead against hers. He could feel her soft breathing on his cheek as he gazed into her clear, blue eyes.

"I really like you too, Miley"

Her face broke out into a brilliant smile and her eyes sparkled with happiness.

_Today is a winding road that's taking me to places that I didn't want to go_

Miley thought about how much her life changed in one day. She woke up this morning only to realize that she liked Jake Ryan. At first, she didn't want to admit it, and she fought against it, but now she's happy that she accepted the truth. The truth led her to a wonderful guy.

Jake also thought about how much his life changed today. He realized that his life wasn't as great as he thought it was and that it was missing the one thing he really wanted - love. He didn't need fame and fortune to be happy, he just needed to be himself. That's what led him to an amazing girl._  
_

_Your voice was the soundtrack of my summer  
Do you know you're unlike any other?  
You'll always be my thunder, and I said_

Jake thought it'd be best to tell Miley his favorite memory - the one when she was singing. He wanted her to be able to trust him, and thought that by telling her, she'd see that he was trustworthy.

Her feelings for him grew as he told her about how he heard her sing on her balcony and how he always heard her in his dreams. Tears formed in her eyes and he gently wiped them away. She smiled at him and he smiled right back.

_Your eyes are the brightest of all the colors  
I don't wanna ever love another  
You'll always be my thunder, and I said_

"You're beautiful, Miley," he whispered softly in her ear. Her smile grew wider. A crack of thunder could be heard in the distance and she raised her eyes to the sky. Clouds were forming and it was getting darker. She looked back at him.

"You have the most amazing eyes,"she whispered back. He cracked a grin and wanted to say something cocky, but thought better. Miley noticed and smirked lightly.

'You can take the boy out of the tv star, but you can't take the tv star out of the boy' she laughed internally.

_Your voice was the soundtrack of my summer  
Do you know you're unlike any other?  
You'll always be my thunder_

Miley thought about the poem he recited in that empty hallway. She remembered how passionate he was about the person, and couldn't help but wonder who he was talking about.

"Jake? I heard you recite that poem you wrote that day we had detention. I know it's personal, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to..." she stuttered. Jake smirked.

"You want to know who it was for, right?" he grinned at her squirming form. She looked so cute when she was uncomfortable. She was looking everywhere but him, trying to control the large blush across her cheeks. He took her gently by the chin and made her look at him. His hand found hers and their fingers intertwined.

"It was for you"

_So bring on the rain_

Tears of joy fell from her eyes and were soon washed away with droplets of rain. She turned her face toward the sky and closed her eyes as she let the rain wash over her. He watched her beautiful face glow with happiness, and it in turn made him even happier. The thunder echoed throughout the beach and she looked back at him.

There was only one thing he had to ask her before she could fully be his.

"Miley Stewart, would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?" he whispered. She smiled at him and nodded. He cracked a grin and once again twirled her around in the air. They were both soaked from the rain, but Jake thought that she never looked more beautiful than she did right now.

He gently put her down and looked in her eyes.

"Miley, being my girlfriend means that you're probably going to be in the public eye a lot. As much as I'd like to have some privacy, I don't get much of it. Are you ready for that? Because if you aren't, I completely understand"

It was hard for him to give her a chance to leave him, but he respected and liked her too much to keep her as a prisoner in an unhappy relationship.

Miley thought about the consequences of dating _the_ Jake Ryan - her private life would end up just like her Hannah life, and as much as she'd like to keep her Miley life the way it was, she knew that she wouldn't be able to live with herself for blowing away her one chance. Besides, 'Jiley' would probably blow over after a few weeks, and she was used to the paparazzi as Hannah, so why not give herself a chance at happiness?

She looked deep into his eyes and smirked.

"_Oh baby, bring on the pain_"

They both laughed until their stomachs hurt. Jake slipped his hand into Miley's and brought it up to his lips. He kissed each of her fingers lightly and grinned when she giggled. He slowly moved up her arm, applying gentle butterfly kisses along the way. He nipped at her collar bone and inhaled her scent - it always drove him crazy. He felt her breathing slow down as he moved higher and higher, kissing her neck, her nose, and her cheeks.

He hovered over her lips and she felt his warm breath on her face. She looked up into his sea-green eyes and he looked down into her clear blue ones. He gently brought his lips down onto hers and sparks exploded behind their eyes. The kiss grew passionate and neither could think of a kiss as magical as this one.

The rain drops fell from the sky like tears of joy. The only thing that could be heard was the slight rumble of thunder in the distance.

_And listen to the thunder  
_


	2. Thinking of You

Well, you all asked for it! Hope you all like it!

* * *

Jake was lying on his bed with a grin on his face, thinking about the past few days. Ever since that night at the beach, he couldn't stop smiling. His family was starting to think there was something wrong with him and nearly called a doctor for fear of him being delusional. He only laughed and reassured them there was nothing wrong before hopping up the steps like a buffoon. He chuckled when he heard a small "Freak!" come from his young sister. 

He still couldn't believe Miley actually liked him back and that they were now a steady couple. But then he'd think back on that special kiss and knew it was all real. He could still feel the tingle and couldn't wait to see her again. She had some family reunion out of state that she had to go to for the weekend or something, and said she'd be back for school this week. And what a painful few days it had been. Sure, they talked on the phone every day, but it wasn't as good as talking to his girlfriend in person.

His girlfriend.

He smiled at the thought. Miley was now his girlfriend. He still had yet to believe it.

Jake glanced over at the clock and saw that it was nearly two o'clock. Miley was supposed to call him around five. What was he to do for three hours? Jake sighed and thought of the possibilities.

'Well, Miley and I haven't gone on a date yet…so maybe I can plan that now. But what should we do? She's not like every other girl, so I want to make our first date really special…'

Jake racked his brains for ideas but came up empty handed. Everything he thought of seemed so cliché, and that's not what he wanted – at least not for their first date. First dates are the make it or break it in relationships and he wanted to make a good impression.

"Christ, now I'm starting to sound like a girl…" he muttered to himself.

Jake sighed again. There was only one person that knew girls inside and out, and he was a bit reluctant to go to them. Should he risk it? Sure, he could get great ideas, but the consequences could be dire. Was it really worth it?

'Of course it is, you idiot. Miley is worth anything, even going to…_them_... for advice.'

As Jake was going over the pros and cons of asking for advice, there was a small knock at his door. After a "Come in!" from Jake, the door opened a bit.

'Well, speak of the devil!'

Mrs. Ryan entered the room with a basket of laundry and started bustling around, putting clothes away in the drawers and picking up dirty clothes that were strewn about on the floor. She wrinkled her nose slightly at the smell radiating from one of Jake's socks and dumped it into her new pile of dirty laundry. She glanced over at Jake on her way out and paused, noticing her son staring at the ceiling in deep thought. She gently put the basket down on a nearby chair and sat on the edge of his bed.

"What's got you thinking so hard? The last time I saw you with this much concentration, you were in the middle of your potty-training!" she chuckled merrily, remembering the days when her baby boy was an innocent little tot and not a famous actor. Jake groaned in embarrassment.

"Mom, you can't go around saying things like that! If the paparazzi ever got wind of that, I'd be ruined!" he cried overdramatically. His mother only rolled her eyes. She stood, picked up the laundry basket, and headed toward the door.

"Well, if you want to tell me what's going on in that head of yours, I'll be downstairs"

Jake followed her with his eyes, thinking about whether to ask her or not. He sighed, coming to his decision. Just as she was reaching for the door, he stopped her.

"Mom, I…," Come on, man, where is that zombie-slaying courage? "I need your advice. On girls."

He cringed as his mother's high-pitched squeal permeated throughout the room. She dropped the basket and quickly ran over to his bed. He was already starting to think this was a bad idea.

"My baby boy is coming to me about girls! I never thought this day would come! Now, when you say 'girls', do you really mean how to get their attention? Or are you asking me about sex, because it is perfectly ok to ask about sex…"

"MOTHER!" Jake screamed, turning a violent shade of red. God knows he was _not_ going to talk to his mother about _that_. "I just wanted some ideas for a date. A _d-a-t-e_!"

"Oh! And who's the lucky lady, hm? Anyone I know? Goodness, I hope it isn't that Hilary Duff girl – I always thought she was too old for you…"

This is what he was afraid of. At this rate, he'd never get any ideas.

"Ok, that was one small crush I had! Geez, mom, if you're not going to help me, just say so," he whined. Mrs. Ryan smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, sorry. You know how I am. Alright, dates change according to the type of person. If they're a casual, laid back kind of person, then a day at the boardwalk is perfect for them. If they're a bit more formal, maybe dining at a nice restaurant is a good choice. Before I can help you, I need to know what she's like," she looked at him patiently, waiting for him to start. Jake sighed.

"Gosh, where do I start? She's smart, beautiful – really beautiful, down to earth, cool, funny, amazing smile…it's hard to describe her, mom," he replied wistfully. He remembered her face and he smiled lightly. Seeing that she was losing her son to la-la land, Mrs. Ryan quickly took action.

"Jake, I'm going to need a bit more information if you want me to help you."

Jake snapped back to reality at his mother's voice. He glanced over at her and blushed at being caught daydreaming. He hesitated a bit before replying.

"Ok, you know all those girls I've dated in the past?" his mother wrinkled her nose and nodded, "She's the complete opposite. She doesn't like me for popularity; she likes me for me. Hell, before, she hated me for being me!"

His mother smiled. She was glad to see that her son finally found someone with substance and that wasn't using him like all those other glitzy girls. She couldn't wait to meet this girl.

"Well, then you don't need to do much to impress the girl. She doesn't need an expensive dinner to make her happy. I'm sure that something sweet and simple will do," she glanced over at the clock and gasped when she saw the time. "Damn, I still need to finish this laundry before tomorrow! Sorry, sweetheart, but I have to run. I hope I helped a bit."

Mrs. Ryan scrambled to the door, picked up the basket, and winked at Jake before heading out the door. Jake just laughed at his mother's antics and was secretly glad he asked her for advice. He smiled and laid back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling wistfully. He finally had an idea for his date with Miley; now all he had to do was ask her.

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Miley was running around backstage, trying to find her clothes for her costume change. She had to be on stage in five minutes and she had no idea where her other costume ran off to. Suddenly, Lily skidded to a stop in front of Miley clutching a bunch of clothes – one of them being her costume.

"Quick, Hannah, you gotta be on stage in," she checked her watch, "three minutes!"

They worked together and Miley was fitted in her costume with a few seconds to spare. The stage hand motioned for her to get ready and steadily counted down with his hands. As his fingers reached one, Miley bounded up the stairs on the side of the stage and ran out screaming.

"You ready for more, San Francisco?!"

The crowd cheered and Hannah started belting out her lyrics.

After the concert, Miley was sprawled out on the couch, catching her breath in her dressing room. The crowd was wild tonight and she used up nearly all her energy keeping up with them. She felt like she couldn't move a muscle and even twitching a finger was a chore. Her eyes drooped as a wave of sleep came over her and she saw Jake's sparkling eyes in her mind. She smiled as she thought about that day at the beach when they got together and it grew even wider when she remembered the kiss they shared.

Hannah's dressing room door burst open and Lily flew in, her blue wig nearly falling off. Lights were flashing in all directions behind her, trying to get a glimpse of the famous Hannah Montana.

"Get the hell out of here before we call security! We don't want to talk to you, so get over it!" Lily screamed at them before shutting the door in their faces.

Paparazzi.

God how Miley hated the paparazzi. They constantly followed her everywhere and harassed her until the cows came home. Luckily, they hadn't found her house yet, so her secret identity was still safe. But now that she was dating Jake, the paparazzi would probably be following her around too.

Jake.

Her heart melted when she thought about him. They had only been dating for a few days and already he was in her thoughts 24/7. She smiled unknowingly, dreaming about his handsome face. Lily noticed the far-off look in her eyes.

"Hannah, what's got you so dreamy-eyed? You hate the paparazzi."

Crap. Lily didn't know about her and Jake yet. She didn't really have the time to tell her yet, with the whole concert in San Francisco thing taking up most of her weekend. And now wouldn't be the best time to tell her either; with paparazzi lurking around, no secrets were safe.

"Oh, uh, I'm just thinking about the bubble bath that has my name all over it," Miley lied. Miley hated lying, but technically her entire life was a lie. What would one more do?

"Wait, you have a Hannah Montana bubble bath coming out? Since when!? Can I get the first bottle?" Leave it to Lily to be a complete dunder-head. And they say Oliver's the donut in the group. Miley chuckled.

"No, Lola. I meant that I want to go home and take a bubble bath. Though a line of Hannah Montana bath products would be pretty sweet…"

Lily's mouth silently formed an 'o' and Miley laughed at the expression. Soon, Lily joined her and the two girls were rolling around on the floor laughing. A knock on the door caused them stop, reducing their laughter to silent giggles, and Miley went to answer the door. Her dad, in disguise of course, told them that the limo was ready outside and they had to leave now if they wanted to catch the plane.

After dropping Lily off at her house, Miley ran up to her bathroom to take her bubble bath. It had been a long, tiring weekend and she had school tomorrow. She was ready to just collapse in bed from exhaustion. She glanced over at her clock and had to do a double take. It was already ten pm! She was supposed to call Jake five hours ago! Miley quickly flipped open her phone and noticed that Jake had called her twice – both during her concert. She quickly dialed his number and waited until he picked up.

"Jake! Oh gosh, I'm so sorry I didn't call! We had the big reunion today, so I couldn't really talk, and I just got home from the airport and it was really hectic and my dad wouldn't let me call an-" she heard Jake chuckle on the other end. She hated lying to him, but she couldn't let him in on her secret – at least not yet.

"Miley, it's ok. I understand that you were busy, and I'm happy that you're a family-oriented girl. It only makes me like you more. By the way, I think it's absolutely adorable when you ramble," she blushed scarlet at his comment and awed at how sweet he was.

"Hey, Miley, I was wondering if," Jake paused, trying to perfect his words, "if you wanted to go out on Saturday night. You know, on a date?"

She couldn't help but laugh. Wasn't she already dating the boy?

"Jake, we're already going out, I know that we'll be going on a date," she heard Jake chuckle again.

"Oh, right. I still can't believe that you're my girlfriend. It takes some time to get used to, you know? Sometimes, I feel like I'm going to wake up one morning and realize that this is all a dream and that things will be back to the way they were before," he paused, and then whispered softly, "I don't think I'd be able to live if you hated me again."

Her heart melted when she heard his words. Tears brimmed her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

"I'll never be able to hate you," she whispered back. She could feel the smile radiating from Jake.

Suddenly, a crack of thunder echoed in the sky and Miley looked over at the window. It was starting to drizzle lightly outside and she couldn't help but think of that night at the beach when she kissed Jake in the rain. She smiled and turned back to the phone.

"Hey, did you hear that?" she said softly into the receiver, "it's storming outside." She heard a bit of shuffling on the other end.

"Yeah, it is. The thunder is soothing – it makes me think of you and the night we kissed at the beach. Whenever I hear thunder, I will always think of you, Miley Stewart."

That was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her in her entire life, and she swore that she'd keep this memory till her dying day.

"I'll always think of you, too, Jake Ryan."

They talked for about an hour until Mr. Stewart told Miley to go to bed. The couple said their goodbyes and hung up, promising to see each other the next day. Miley flicked off her light and snuggled into her comforter, sighing contently. As she closed her eyes, images of sea-green eyes swam into her dreams, and she drifted off to sleep listening to the pitter-patter of the raindrops and the low rumble of the thunder.


	3. School Yard Rendezvous

A/N: Sorry about taking so long. College apps + summer reading + filming my movie + writers block --> delay in updating. But now it's here, so yay!

Now, as I'm sure most of you have noticed, I referenced thunder in the 2nd chapter. This is going to happen in every chapter, just to tie back into the title of the story and also the song in chapter 1. Try and look out for them!

I've got to admit, though, that I had hoped that more people would review this story. Those of you who did review - you are amazing and you truly made my day when you reviewed this story. I'm just confused, because people say that they really like this story, or that it's one of the best one's out there, but then I only get 3 reviews for the 2nd chapter. Oh well. Hope you guys like this chapter, and another one should be coming shortly.

* * *

Miley stuffed her books inside her locker, humming lightly. A small smile was plastered on her face, even at seven in the morning. She glanced over and noticed Lily coming over with dark circles under her eyes, slumped shoulders, and her poor book bag dragging behind her. Miley raised an eyebrow at her friend, silently asking her what happened. Lily groaned. 

"Next time you have a Hannah concert, make sure your dad doesn't schedule it for a Sunday. I was bouncing around all night, until my mom reminded me about school today," she pointed a finger at herself, "Me, plus three hours of sleep, equals this hideous beast. So, how'd you sleep? You seem a little perky today."

Miley smiled wistfully as she remembered her dream about Jake last night.

"I slept like a baby. A warm, soft, loved baby."

Miley's mind started drifting off, daydreaming about her zombie-slaying boyfriend. Lily just looked at her like she was crazy.

"Right...baby...gotchya. Miley, am I missing something? Because that's twice now that you've had that dreamy look on your face."

Miley immediately sobered up. Now was not the best time to tell Lily about her relationship with Jake. God knows that she'd squeal louder than a pig in a slaughter house when she told her, and Miley wasn't exactly ready to have the whole school know she was dating Jake Ryan. So Miley lied. Again.

"Lily, I don't know what you're talking about - I always look like this!" Miley saw that Lily wasn't buying it, so she quickly changed the subject. "Hey, have you seen Oliver? I haven't talked to that boy in a while."

Right on cue, Oliver burst through the doors, earning stares from the student population. He popped his collar and proceeded to strut down the hallway, nodding cockily at every female he passed. One girl caught his eye and his gaze followed her as she walked past him. Of course, with his eyes on her and not in front, he didn't have a chance to see the open locker blocking him. He slammed into the locker, lost his balance, and crashed onto the floor, causing the whole school to erupt into laughter. Miley cringed while Lily smacked her forehead, muttering curses.

"God, the boy can't even last one minute without making a complete fool of himself."

The two girls rushed to Oliver's side, pulling him up before he embarrassed himself any further. He just brushed off his shoulders.

"Morning, ladies," he glanced at Lily and wrinkled his nose. "You look horrible."

Lily smacked his arm, causing him to clutch it in pain. Miley tried to contain her giggles, but failed miserably. Soon she was clutching her stomach, laughing so much that tears leaked from her eyes. Oliver looked at Lily and cocked an eyebrow.

"Uh, is she ok? She seems a bit...off...today," Lily only shrugged her shoulders in response.

After taking a few deep breaths to calm down, Miley went back to her locker to get her lab notebook, opening it up to her assignments page. Lily and Oliver had begun bickering about something or another and were too busy to see what their friend was doing. Miley felt a presence behind her and she grinned when she heard a soft whisper in her ear.

"I missed you this weekend."

She whipped around and faced Jake with a huge smile on her face. She saw his sparkling eyes staring right into hers and she felt a warm heat flow through her body.

"I missed you too," she whispered back. A grin lit up his face and her insides turned to mashed potatoes. And to think, that grin used to make her want to punch him in the face.

Miley once again grabbed her notebook and started checking off assignments she'd completed. She heard Jake clear his throat and she glanced up at him again.

"Listen, I know I already asked you, but I never got a real answer. So, Miley, would you like to go out on a date with me this Saturday?"

It seemed like the whole school stopped functioning as soon as the words left his mouth. About 300 pairs of eyes landed on the couple, creating a huge traffic jam in the hallway. Even Oliver and Lily stopped what they were doing and stared at them. Everyone was waiting with hitched breaths and the silence was deafening. Miley only went back to her notebook, jotting down tiny notes and reminders. She answered him like it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"No."

A collective gasp sounded throughout the hallway. To say that everyone was shocked would be an understatement. Oliver was floored, Lily was baffled, and Jake was confused. Miley only continued writing in her notebook, oblivious to all the stares she was receiving. Jake looked completely heartbroken.

"But, Miley...I thought that -" he was cut off by the first period bell, warning them to get to class.

It seemed to have snapped the school out of its shock and the students quickly made their way to their classes. Lily and Oliver looked like zombies as they dragged themselves to their class, still dazed about the incident in the hallway. Miley, too, made her way to her first period, but not before kissing Jake on the cheek and slipping a small note into his hand. He looked at her, confused, but she just winked at him. He watched her turn the corner before he glanced at the note in his hand. Quickly making sure he was alone, he carefully unfolded the note and grinned at its contents.

_'I wouldn't like to go on a date; I'd __love__ to go on a date. Pick me up at 7?'_

Jake realized that he was going to be late for class, so he folded up the note, stuffed it in his pocket, and bolted into his classroom.

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Four periods later, it was lunch-time. Miley was back at her locker, grabbing her books for her afternoon classes. A small note fluttered out of her locker and she bent down to get it. She noticed Jake's scrawl and looked around trying to find him. She caught his gaze and he nodded at her, telling her to read the note. She unfolded the paper.

'_Meet me at my locker in ten minutes?'_

She looked back up at him and nodded, smiling at him lightly. She closed her locker and made her way into the lunchroom, where she found Lily and Oliver bickering again. She just rolled her eyes at the two of them and sat down. This drew their attention and they turned from each other to look at Miley. They stayed in awkward silence for a bit, before Lily spoke up.

"I can't believe you turned him down!" She always did get straight to the point, "He's so hot! Why would you say _no_?!"

Oliver, of course, had to put his two cents in.

"Yeah, seriously, I mean, he's a celebrity! And if you date him, then you're famous by association! You'd get all the perks of being a celebrity. Who wouldn't want that!?"

Miley looked at him like he was an idiot while Lily shook her head sadly.

"Oliver, did you forget who I am?" Miley asked him plainly. He just gave her a blank stare and blinked a few times.

"A girl?"

Lily smacked herself at his stupidity. This kid could be so thick at times – sometimes she wondered why he was her best friend.

"God, Oliver, you're such a donut! Miley is a celebrity too, stupid!" she whispered harshly to him. Oliver's mouth formed a silent 'o' and he blushed lightly. They once again started bickering, this time over Oliver's tendency to be incredibly slow.

Miley glanced at the clock above the doorway in the cafeteria and saw that it was time to meet Jake. She quickly excused herself, telling them that she had to go get some help from a teacher, and made her way to Jake's locker. The hallway was deserted, and for that, she was happy. She wanted to have some private time with her boyfriend – if only her boyfriend was there. Miley frowned when she realized that Jake was nowhere to be seen and glanced around to make sure she didn't miss him. She felt a pair of hands encircle her waist and a pair of lips kiss her neck lightly. She smiled and turned around in the arms, looking into sea-green eyes. She lifted her arms and slipped them around his neck gently before brushing her lips against his softly, giving him a chaste kiss. She whispered against his lips.

"Hi."

Jake smiled and kissed her softly.

"Hi."

Miley giggled; that happy gas returning to her system. Being so close to him caused her breath to leave her body, and if his arms weren't wrapped around her, she'd probably crash to the ground. She wanted him to know what he did to her – what he does to her every time she's around him.

"When I'm with you, I feel like I can't breathe – you've taken my breath away, Jake Ryan."

Jake smiled so widely that it reached his eyes. He, Jake Ryan, had swept Miley Stewart off her feet – not something every person can do. He thought it was only fair to return to her what he had taken.

"Well then, let me give you some of mine. It is the law to perform CPR on those who need it."

He grinned and brought his lips down upon hers, giving her the kiss of life. They soon pulled away breathing heavily, trying to get air back into their lungs. Miley looked up at Jake's bright green eyes and smirked.

"Looks like your CPR did more damage than good," she looked at him slyly. He caught on to her game and smirked back at her.

"I guess, but wouldn't you say it was worth it? I know I do."

He leaned in to kiss her again, but the bell rang and students poured out of the cafeteria. Miley softly pushed him away, not wanting the school to see the two lovebirds together. She blew him a kiss and became lost in the crowd, only looking back to see Jake catch her flying kiss and bring his hand to his lips. She smiled at him and made her way to fifth period.

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Jake was on his way home when he decided to call Miley. Unfortunately, he was going to be out the rest of the week at school due to a special double episode of Zombie High that he had to finish for next week. The directors wanted to film both parts of the episode at the same time, thinking it would be more time efficient if they got it done quickly. Therefore, he was going to be at the set from Tuesday morning to Friday afternoon for filming, leaving no time for classes. Jake didn't want to be away from Miley that long, but he had no choice – besides, it would make their date on Saturday all the more special.

He had everything planned out to the tee and was not going to let anything ruin the perfect evening. He was shocked when Miley turned him down, however, and thought that his whole plan was ruined. He thought that she had thought it over last night and decided that she couldn't deal with his fame. But when he read her note, his heart swelled at the underlined 'love' and nearly jumped around in excitement. Miley finally picked up the phone after a couple of rings.

"Hey, Miley. I was just calling to tell you that I won't be at school for the rest of the week, so I probably won't see you until Saturday," he could hear her disappointed sigh and his heart tore a little.

"It's ok, I understand. Is it that new double episode? I hear it's supposed to be good."

He chuckled at his girlfriend. She always knew how to look on the bright side of things – it was one of the things that he found incredibly attractive of her.

"Yup, that's the one. So I just wanted to say that I'll miss you and I can't wait for our date. Feel free to wear whatever you want – it's pretty casual, but I don't mind if you dress up for me," he smirked. He heard her laugh on the other end and he smiled. He loved hearing her laugh.

"Sounds good, Ego-boy," he chuckled at his old nickname, "Oh, and Jake? Listen, I'm sorry about today, it's just that…do you think we could keep our relationship low-key for a while? I know that sounds horrible, but I just don't want to have people stalking us, trying to get a glimpse of Jake Ryan and his new girlfriend, just so they can tell the press and get a few seconds of fame. I want to be with you. _Just_ you. I hope that's ok…" she trailed off, clearly embarrassed of her favor. He wished he could see her right now, knowing that she looked adorable when she was nervous.

"Of course it's ok. I totally understand, and I also want to be with just you. I could really use a break from the fame. So I'll see you Saturday, seven o'clock," she quickly confirmed the date and they said their goodbyes.

After a few minutes, Jake finally arrived at his house and dropped his back pack off in the kitchen. Mrs. Ryan greeted him and tossed him the script for the new episode. He skimmed through it, liking the plot the more he read. He came across a scene where the zombie slayer would be in the middle of a thunderstorm, crying out for the heavens to bring him his true love so that he could find the strength to kill the Zombie King. He smiled widely, earning a curious glance from his mother. He knew that when he heard that thunder, he'd be thinking of Miley the whole time.


	4. Beautiful

A/N: I'm currently in Boston doing some college hunting, so I wrote this on the way up (talk about a long 8 hours!). I made it extra long for you guys, in hopes that I'd get more reviews. I only got 3 reviews again, which made me really sad :( . I've decided that if people really wanted to read my story, they'd tell me through reviews - therefore, this story will not be updated until I get at least 6 reviews (that's twice as many as I got for the last 2 chapters) for this chapter. Sorry, but that's how I've decided to roll.

I'd just like to thank **ForbiddenxMelody** and **wolfwhisperer** for sticking with me the whole way through and reviewing every chapter. You guys are awesome!

* * *

It was finally Saturday night and Miley was sitting at her vanity, trying to decide how to put her hair. She wanted to impress Jake, but she wanted to be herself too; figuring out how to do that was the problem. She sighed and dropped her chocolate curls in defeat. She gasped when she realized that it was the perfect look and slowly reached for the hairspray, trying to move as little as possible so as not to disturb her currently perfect hair. She finally grasped the bottle and slowly inched back, constantly looking at her hair as a hunter would his prey. She raised the bottle in the air, ready to strike, and finally attacked with all her might. The room filled with a thick mist as the hairspray spread everywhere, until Miley was finally happy with the outlook. Her hair looked absolutely perfect – not a single hair misplaced. Miley's look of triumph, however, was short-lived as she heard a series of hacking coming from her door. The mist cleared and she saw her father wheezing at the door, trying to breathe through the sticky hairspray. 

"Lordy, Darlin', you tryin' to kill me? What are they going to say at my funeral? 'Robbie Ray Stewart was a good man; it's a shame he died via hairspray. Wait, this guy died by choking on hairspray? You sure he wasn't a woman?' Bud, if I die, please let me die in a manly way, like getting hit by a bus or getting shot down by the FBI."

Miley chuckled at her dad's overdramatic antics – he always was a weird one, though not as weird as the rest of her family, but she loved him anyway. Any dad that lets you be a teen pop star by night is one amazing dad.

"Miles, you look absolutely gorgeous – which means that I'm gonna need to talk to that boy, because I swear, if he puts a hand on you I'll make sure that no one finds his body ever again," Miley could only roll her eyes and how overprotective he was. She's fifteen and he still treats her like a porcelain doll – it was starting to get a bit ridiculous.

"Fine dad, and hey, that way, you could always get your dream of dying at the hands of the FBI!" she couldn't help but add sarcastically. She saw his eyes light up.

"Hey, you're right! I'll get to work on planning it right now!" Miley saw her dad's joking smile and visibly relaxed. He left to let her finish getting ready and she walked into her Hannah closet to grab her favorite pair of shoes.

Just as she was slipping them on, she heard the doorbell ring and the butterflies suddenly zoomed into her stomach. She tried to relax and think of Lily's advice as a way to calm down. She had finally told Lily and Oliver about her secret relationship with Jake through a three-way telephone conversation, and the reactions were as expected. Lily's deafening scream caused her to fall out of her chair and onto the floor – Miley couldn't hear in that ear for a few days after. Oliver just remained quiet for about five minutes, until he finally spoke up.

"But I thought you said 'no'."

Lily then proceeded to yell at Oliver about being a slow idiot and not listening to the conversation held during his five minutes of silence, which of course led to them bickering, yet again. They never noticed when Miley hung up.

Her dad's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she quickly finished putting on her shoes. One last check in the mirror was all she needed to give her a boost of confidence before she turned off the lights and headed down the stairs.

As she came into view downstairs, she heard Jake's breath hitch and couldn't help but feel a burst of power soar through her. She saw his eyes looking over her outfit and a large blush coloured her cheeks. Her simple, ocean blue dress brought out her eyes and her small, black heals accentuated her long, curvy legs. Her long, chocolate tresses flowed over her shoulders and down her back, with a few lazy curls surrounding her face. She looked casual, but still breathtakingly beautiful; and Jake couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

Miley approached him, a shy smile on her face, and he gracefully took her hand and kissed it before intertwining their fingers. He looked directly into her eyes and she knew that he was telling the truth.

"You look beautiful, Miley."

The butterflies were back and with a vengeance. They fluttered around in her stomach, bouncing around like they were trying to escape eating Aunt Pearl's Road kill Ravioli. She gave him one of her bright smiles, which he returned before turning to Mr. Stewart.

"I promise to have her home by eleven, Sir, unless you would like her home earlier."

Mr. Stewart was surprised at the boy's politeness and was about to take up his offer of having his daughter back earlier, but one look at Miley's pleading face and he knew he couldn't do that to her. Besides, he seemed like a nice enough young man that didn't treat his daughter like a piece of meat. He could see it in the boy's eyes that he truly cared for his daughter – the same look he had when he looked at his deceased wife. Maybe it was finally time to let Miley fly.

"No, eleven is fine. Make sure she comes back in one piece, or I swear I shall do unthinkable things to you, boy," he couldn't help but throw in a threat – he was a father after all.

Jake looked at him with a serious face, before turning to Miley.

"I promise, Sir, that I will never let anything harm her. Ever."

Although Jake was talking to her father, she knew that he was talking to her too – she could see it in his eyes. She knew that he would never let her get hurt and it made her heart swell even more. Her father also knew how serious he was and couldn't help but actually like the young man. He nodded at Jake, giving him approval to take out his daughter. Jake smiled at him and with a small 'goodbye' from Miley, the couple made their way out of the house. He sighed as he watched his baby girl smile brightly at the boy as they walked away hand in hand, before he retreated to the kitchen to have an ice cream sundae.

The couple walked down the driveway to Jake's awaiting limo. Of course, they would be riding in style to their location – this was Jake Ryan after all. He opened the door and helped her step inside before winking at his driver, who nodded in return, and entered the car as well. Once inside, Miley turned to him.

"So, where are we going? Movies? Or are we going to dinner, because you never told me what to dress for, you just said casual, so I dressed casual, but I didn't want to seem like a slob, so I spruced up a tad-" Miley's rambling was cut off suddenly by Jake's lips and she instantly forgot about what she was saying. He pulled back and smiled.

"Did you know how cute you are when you ramble?" her cheeks turned pink. "And to answer your question – it's a surprise." Miley frowned.

"…Is this the part where you take me to an abandoned warehouse and kill me? Because if it is, I'd like to step out of the vehicle, please." Jake just laughed and shook his head at Miley's overactive imagination. He pulled out a scarf, which Miley looked at worriedly.

"No, I'm not going to kill you, and even if I was going to kill you, I'd smother you with kisses until you couldn't breathe," she giggled. "But this really is a surprise, so I hope you trust me enough to let me blindfold you until we get there. It's ok if you don't want to."

Miley contemplated her situation. She really did trust Jake, and knew from his talk with her father that he wouldn't harm her in any way, so she decided to throw caution into the wind.

"Alright, big boy, make me blind."

Jake smiled and carefully wrapped the delicate material around her eyes before gently tying it in a knot. He slowly traced his fingertips down her arm, causing it to erupt in goosebumps, before he intertwined his fingers in hers.

When Jake wrapped the scarf around her eyes, Miley's world became dark and a cold fear wrapped around her. She had always been a bit afraid of the dark, which was why she slept with the curtains open to allow the moonlight in. She felt Jake's fingers slide down her arm lightly, sending a pleasant chill through her body, and her fear slowly started slipping away. When she felt his fingers wrap around hers, she suddenly felt safe and knew that she would always feel that way with Jake.

They sat quietly, enjoying the peaceful silence and just the feel of each other. The car slowed and finally came to a stop. Miley felt Jake scoot closer to her and he whispered in her ear.

"We're here. When we get outside, I'll take off your blindfold. You have to trust me, ok?"

Miley nodded and let him lead her out of the car. He pulled her by the hand for a bit before they finally stopped. Miley was excited to see this secret surprise and was growing impatient. She felt Jake move behind her and begin to untie the blindfold. Her eagerness was growing and she felt the butterflies come back two-fold. He softly told her to close her eyes and she did so without question. She felt the silky material fall from her eyes and her excitement reached its peak. He slowly counted to three and she opened her eyes, ready for the greatest surprise in the history of surprises. Her eyes got used to the light and when they focused, she saw…

Seaview High School.

Miley whipped around to face Jake, a disappointed and slightly aggravated look on her face.

"School. This is the big surprise? Taking me back to school? Listen, Jake, I know you're new at this whole 'becoming normal' thing, but normal kids leave school for the weekend, _not_ go back to it!" she was panting heavily and her chest was rising and falling rapidly. Jake only watched her with amusement and a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Who said that this is the surprise?"

Miley stopped short and looked at him incredulously. He looked deep into her eyes, searching for an answer to his next question.

"Do you trust me?"

Miley stared back and nodded. He grasped her hand once again and led her to the school's entrance. He pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the door before pulling her inside and up the stairs. She followed him wordlessly as he led her through the different hallways until they reached a small door she had never noticed before. He unlocked the door before opening it for her, motioning her inside with his head. She looked at him before looking up the dark stairs, trying to gather all of her courage. She took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness, slowly climbing up each step until she reached a door. She gently turned the knob and pushed the door open, causing a loud screech to echo in the dark. Light flooded the stairs and she gasped in surprise.

She was on the roof of the school, overlooking all of Malibu and the calm ocean next to it. Strings of lights were pinned up around her, casting a soft glow in the oncoming twilight. A blanket was spread out on the floor, surrounded by pink, red, and white rose petals. As she moved closer, she saw a single white rose on the blanket, as well as a bowl of strawberries. She picked up the rose and noticed a small card lying underneath it.

'_A white rose for the beginning of a beautiful relationship with a beautiful girl'_

She smiled with tears in her eyes and gently wiped them away. She felt his arms wrap around her from behind as he gently whispered in her ear.

"Surprise"

Miley broke out into sobs and she covered her mouth in an attempt to stop them from escaping. Jake, completely freaking out (seeing as how he's never had to deal with a sobbing girl before), thought he had done something terribly wrong and tried to think of a way to quickly fix it. He turned her around and rapidly began to apologize.

"Oh god, I'm sorry, Miley! I thought you'd like it! I didn't mean to upset you! We can leave right now if you want, I'll go call my driver and he'll take you to any place you want to go-" a bone-crushing hug stopped him from speaking any further. Miley's arms were wrapped around him so tightly that he felt like he couldn't breathe.

'Maybe she's trying to kill me like an anaconda – wrapping her prey tightly until they can't breathe anymore'

He continued to think along these lines until Miley began showering his face with kisses. She finally stopped and stepped back, allowing him to breathe again while she gently held his forearms.

"Jake, this is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. No one's ever done anything like this for me. It really is a wonderful surprise and I'm sorry that I doubted you," she looked deeply into his eyes and softly said, "Thank you."

Jake's heart was pounding wildly in his chest at her admission. The fact that he made her so happy gave him this indescribable feeling that he wanted to experience over and over again. Right in that moment, he knew that all the trouble he went through to set up this date was completely worth it.

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After finishing the bowl of strawberries, the couple sat on the blanket playing thumb wars. As they played, they talked about everything and laughed at silly jokes. Miley was trying to catch Jake's thumb, but he was easily evading her attempts.

"Tell me something about you," she asked him suddenly. He glanced up at her before concentrating on their thumbs.

"I'm an actor," he tried pinning her thumb down, but she escaped his grasp. She chuckled lightly.

"I already know that. I meant tell me something nobody knows – something about the real Jake Ryan." He was quiet for a moment before he spoke.

"I've never been to an amusement park."

Miley trapped his thumb under hers for a few seconds before he broke free and she looked up at him.

"You've never gone to an amusement park before? Not even once?"

He glanced up at her again before looking back at their fighting thumbs. He nodded.

"My parents always said I was too young for the rides and promised to take me when I was older. When I was finally old enough, I was too busy acting to take the time to go," he swiftly dodged her thumb. "What about you?"

She didn't want to tell him about her Hannah secret – not when their relationship was so young, so she told him one of her silly secrets.

"I eat my Oreos with peanut butter," he laughed at her admission and didn't pay attention to their game.

She took the opportunity to pin his thumb under hers and declare herself the winner. She paled when she saw the mischievous glint in his eye. Before she could run, he yanked her toward him and flipped her so she was lying on her back as he lay on top of her. He felt the breath fly out from his lungs as he looked down upon her. Her hair was fanned out around her, her lips partly open, her face flushed, and her eyes dark – she was the most gorgeous creatures he'd ever laid eyes on. He couldn't help himself as he dipped his head down and crushed her lips with his. He was drowning in her heavenly scent and he could taste the sweet strawberries on her lips. Being with her felt so right, and he wouldn't exchange this memory for all the fame and fortune in the world.

She kissed him back furiously, taking in as much of him as she could. Being with him felt so right, so perfect. She couldn't think of a time since her mother died where she'd felt this whole – maybe Jake was the missing piece in her life; the part that would make her complete.

Miley suddenly felt droplets on her face and broke away from the kiss. She looked up at the sky and saw that it was raining – except, mysteriously, it was only raining around them. She heard a roar of thunder, but saw no lightning in the sky. She looked up at Jake, confused out of her mind. He only looked down at her with a smile.

"Every time we've been together, it was storming outside. Since tonight didn't call for rain, I thought I'd make some myself."

She looked around and finally noticed the tiny sprinklers that were creating the rain and the speakers where the thunder echoed through them. She looked back at Jake with a brilliant smile and pulled him into a passionate kiss in the rain, the thunder washing over them.

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Jake walked Miley home that night, since she lived a few blocks away and it was a beautiful night. They talked and laughed, holding hands the whole way home. Of course, Jake's limo was silently following behind the couple, ready to take Jake home once he dropped Miley off.

They reached the front door with a few minutes to spare. They stood there, staring into each other's eyes, until Miley broke the silence.

"I had an amazing time tonight, Jake. I'm sure all of your girlfriends enjoyed it as much as I did." He looked her straight in the eye and told her with a serious face.

"Actually, you're the only girl I've ever done anything like that for, and you'll be the only one I'll ever do it for."

Miley smiled at his sweet honesty and rose on her toes to give him a goodnight kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back, giving her a few chaste kisses as she pulled back. She whispered 'goodnight' and slipped inside her door. He nodded at Mr. Stewart through the window and made his way to his limo. Just before he stepped inside, he looked back and saw Miley at her bedroom window, watching him leave. He blew her a kiss and watched as she caught it and brought it to her lips. He smiled and got inside, nodding at his driver to take him home, all the while dreaming of his beautiful Miley.


	5. For Your Amusement

A/N: Alright, I got a decent amount of emails begging me to continue the story, so I thought that I'd put in at least one last chapter. Technically, it can end here, but it's up to you guys.

I really do love writing and would continue writing just for the hell of it, but unfortunately, I'm ridiculously busy, so I don't really have the time to write that much. I've been updating a lot recently because people were asking me to, but with the small amount of reviews I've been getting, I don't think it's enough to make me want to update often.

Therefore, I've decided to adjust my previous tantrum (which I'm truly sorry about, by the way!) and instead of saying that I will discontinue this story, I will just not update as frequently as I have been. If a chapter gets at least 5 reviews, I'll update faster, but otherwise it will just depend on how much time I have. So basically, tell all your friends about this story and make them review - that way, I'll update faster! Thanks and sorry again!

* * *

Miley said goodbye to Lily and hung up the phone as she heard her doorbell ring. She quickly grabbed her shoes and made her way downstairs, where her father was greeting Jake. He donned a pair of khaki shorts, a navy blue t-shirt, and had dark sunglasses perched on top of his golden hair. She looked over his outfit, glad that he dressed casually and not like how he dressed at school – he wouldn't be recognized as easily. 

It was a week after their first date and things hadn't changed; Lily still ranted about how cute they were, Oliver made faces behind Lily's back when she ranted about how cute they were, and the school still had no idea the two were a couple. Nope, no change – and Miley wanted to keep it that way.

She jumped into Jake's arms and gave him a quick kiss before pointedly looking at her dad. Mr. Stewart got the hint and left the two alone, but not before motioning with his hands that he was watching them. Miley rolled her eyes and Jake chuckled lightly before turning to her.

"So, what's the plan for today? You didn't tell me much on the phone – just to keep my day free," Miley smirked at him and waved her hand as if brushing off his question.

"Well, since you surprised me last week, I thought I'd return the favor. Now, you just need to put on these," she pulled his sunglasses from his head and put them on his face, "and this," she grabbed one of her dad's old baseball hats and put it on his head backwards, pulling a bit of his golden fringe through the hole, "and you're done! No one will recognize you now – Jake Ryan, the actor, wouldn't be caught dead wearing a backward baseball cap, which means no one will be looking at you. Trust me, you don't look anything like your normal self."

She pushed him to the mirror by the door and he was shocked – it really didn't look like him at all! He turned to Miley and gave her a long, deep kiss.

"A girl with brains and beauty – where have you been all my life?" she giggled and smirked at him.

"Busy hating your guts!" they both laughed, clutching their stomachs from laughing so hard. After a while, their laughter was reduced to the occasional giggle, and Jake pulled out his cell phone.

"Should I call my driver? He'll be here in ten minutes tops," he began dialing his driver, but Miley closed the phone in his hand and shook her head.

"I told you it's a surprise, which means you can't know where we're going until we get there. Instead, we're going to be taking the bus."

Jake instantly paled and his body went rigid. He'd never taken the bus his entire life, and to be quite honest, he was scared out of his mind to get on one. Miley noticed how he stiffened.

"Are you telling me that you've never ridden a bus before?" he wanted to lie to her, but he could tell by the look in her eyes that she already knew the answer, so he looked down at the ground and nodded. She smiled at him softly and squeezed his hand.

"Well, then you're in for a real treat," and with that, she pulled him out the door.

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Jake stared at the open door of the bus, trying to gather up all of his courage. He felt a small squeeze from Miley's hand and turned to her, feeling better when he saw her smile of encouragement. He looked back at the bus and the impatient driver, who was giving him a look of disdain. He took a deep breath before stepping on the bus, pulling Miley along with him, and heard a muttered "finally" from the driver. They took their seats and the door closed with a squeak before taking off.

He glanced around at the other people on the bus and noticed a small, blonde child in his mother's lap, bouncing around and laughing happily. He was singing a song about how the wheels on the bus go around and Jake couldn't help but smile. That was what he used to be like before all of the fame and glory – normal. He wished he could turn off being famous sometimes and just have days like this, where he could be himself and not the big hot-shot everyone thought he was. He looked at the girl next to him and watched as she looked out the window. She was the only one, other than his family, who let him act like a normal human being; giving him chances like this to be just like everybody else.

As the bus slowed down for the next stop, Miley slipped her hand in his and gently pulled him up before making her way to the front of the bus. It finally stopped and the doors opened, showing the crowded Malibu boardwalk. Jake watched in amazement as people of all ages walked around, giggling and laughing, eating and shopping, and generally having a good time. They got off the bus and pushed through the crowd, trying to get to a relatively clear spot. Once they got there, Jake wrapped his arms around Miley and gave her a giant hug, burying his head into her hair.

"This is an awesome surprise, thank you," she laughed and shook her head.

"But you haven't even seen the surprise yet! Now come on," she took him by the hand and started running down the boardwalk, laughing when he nearly tripped.

When they got to a more secluded part, she stopped and turned to him, taking off his sunglasses.

"Okay, you know that I trust you – now the question is, do you trust me?" she pulled out the same scarf he had blindfolded her with the previous week, which he looked at nervously. He swallowed before looked up at her, a serious expression on his face.

"I trust you," she smiled at him, happy that he trusted her as much as she trusted him. She moved behind him and rose up on her toes, whispering softly in his ear.

"Good, because I have a much more fun way to blindfold you than using that stuffy old scarf," he smirked when he felt her hands cover his eyes and the small push against his back, urging him to move forward.

After a bit of walking, Miley stopped him. He couldn't see anything through her hands, but he could hear the crying of seagulls and her soft breathing behind him. She slowly counted to three before she dropped her hands and moved next to him. She smiled as she saw his eyes light up at her surprise.

They were standing in front of the Malibu amusement park.

Jake looked like a little boy who had just gotten his birthday present early; his eyes were shining brightly and his smile was so wide, it threatened to take over his entire face. It dimmed, though, when he realized that the park was closed and that they'd only be able to see the outside today.

"Miley, it's Sunday. The park doesn't open today – surely you know that," he glanced over at her and noticed that she was smiling brightly at him.

"Of course I know that. That's why I pulled some strings and got special permission to have the park open just for us."

Ok, so maybe Hannah Montana made a few calls and promised to perform at the park next weekend, but he didn't need to know that.

He looked at her in shock, before another huge smile erupted on his face and he picked her up, twirling her around while she laughed. He set her back down and kissed her passionately, showing her how happy he was. She drew back and smiled at him before pulling him through the gates toward the ticket booth. After showing them proper ID, the people at the park gave them wrist bands, telling the workers stationed at each ride that the couple could go on whatever ride they wanted. When Jake asked how much he had to pay, the worker behind the counter told him that it had all been taken care of while winking discreetly at Miley.

Jake looked around in amazement, trying to choose which ride to go on first. They all looked so exciting and he couldn't wait to try them all. Miley saw his dilemma and gently squeezed his hand to get his attention.

"Why don't we go on Thunder first, since I, unlike you, can't make it storm…but I can make us fly," he laughed at her and nodded before pulling her toward the large rollercoaster.

They ran through the empty line until they reached the front of the coaster. They took their seats and grinned at each other while the worker strapped them in. Jake tore his gaze away from Miley when he heard the small 'click click' that started the ride, looking at the long track in front of him. Before he could blink, he was flying through the air at lightening speed, yelling and laughing through every dip and turn. He could hear the thunderous roar of the wind rushing past him and the loud screams coming from the girl next to him. Before he knew it, the coaster pulled into the station and the ride was over. He turned to Miley, whose hair was all over the place, as was his, and grinned.

"Let's go again!"

She smiled at his bright, shining eyes that were so full of life and happiness, and turned to the operator.

"One more time, please?"

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They spent the rest of the day going on all the rides – sometimes more than once. Jake had never felt so happy in such a long time, and it was all thanks to his amazing girlfriend. He smiled when he thought about how lucky he was to have her in his life and swore that he'd do all he could to keep her in it. Miley glanced over at Jake and saw his far-off look.

"What's going on in that mind of yours?" he looked her straight in the eyes.

"Just thinking about how lucky I am to have the most amazing girl," he pulled her into a deep kiss, sucking the air from both of their lungs and leaving them breathless when they broke apart. She just smiled at him.

"Well, you're an amazing guy. And I guess an amazing girl and an amazing guy make an amazing couple!" they both laughed at her silly logic. He gave her a small kiss before slipping his hand into hers.

"Ain't that the truth."

The truth. Miley's smile faltered a bit. The truth was that Hannah Montana would be starting her summer tour soon and she couldn't keep making up excuses to Jake about why she was busy every Friday and Saturday night. She'd be gone for weeks, traveling to different cities across the country, and she didn't want to leave Jake without him knowing where she was.

Although it was a bit early into their relationship, she thought that now might be the best time to tell him about her other life. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, because she really did; she just wished that they could have a more solid relationship with him before dropping such a huge secret on him. What if he didn't want her anymore? She looked up at him and saw his smiling sea-green eyes looking right back and she knew she could tell him anything without fear of him leaving her. She glanced around, trying to find a good, private place to tell him, when she spotted the Ferris Wheel. She turned to him with a small smile on her face.

"Do you want to go on the Ferris Wheel? That's the only thing we haven't gone on yet," he looked over at the giant wheel, then turned back to her and grinned.

"What could be more romantic than sitting at the top of a Ferris Wheel, watching the sunset with the most beautiful girl in the world? I'm in," she laughed and nodded, so they made their way to the ride.

Once they were seated, the worker pulled down the safety bar and closed the door. Jake winked at the guy and he nodded in return, understanding what Jake wanted him to do. The ride started up and the couple slowly made their way to the top of the wheel. Jake snaked his hand into hers and smiled at her, but his smile turned into a small frown when he saw how nervous Miley was.

Miley was freaking out about how she was going to tell Jake about Hannah. Maybe this really wasn't a good idea after all, maybe she should back out now, maybe she should forget about ever telling him…

'No. I am Hannah Montana, damnit, and I am_ not_ afraid of telling my boyfriend the truth!'

She felt a surge of confidence enter her and she was ready to tell him, when the ride suddenly stopped. Her stomach plummeted when she realized the moment had come to tell him and all the confidence swooshed out of her. Jake was looking at her worriedly.

"Miley, is something wrong?" she took a deep breath and sucked up all of her courage.

"No, it's just…I need to tell you something," Jake watched as she nervously wrung her hands together. Normally, he'd think it was cute, but right now, it made him incredibly nervous.

"Listen, Jake, I don't really know how to say this," Oh god, she was going to break up with him! "I'm…I'm…leaving in a few weeks."

So much for that courage.

Jake sighed in relief. He thought she was going to break up with him – how silly of him to think something like that. Miley wouldn't do that to him – not on top of a Ferris Wheel after an amazing day. He looked back at her and chuckled.

"Well, that's no big deal. We can call each other all the time, and it won't be for a really long time anyway, right? Where are you going? Visiting Tennessee?" she shook her head sadly at him.

"No. I have Hannah Montana concerts," instead of looking disappointed like she thought he would, he beamed at her.

"That's great! I can't believe your dad would let you follow her on her summer tour! Hey, I actually know her pretty well – I could get you backstage passes so you could meet her! I'm sure you'd love tha-" she stopped him with a soft, sad kiss. He looked at her, confused as to why she wasn't excited about meeting Hannah Montana. She couldn't bear to look at him, afraid of what his reaction would be when she told him, so she looked at the ground instead.

"I don't need to meet her, because I already know her," she swallowed her fear and took a deep breath, "Jake, I _am_ her." She looked up at Jake, who had a bewildered look on his face.

"But…but how is that possible? How can I know you're telling the truth? I mean, yeah, you both look a lot alike, but that's just coincidence, isn't it?"

Well, this was unexpected. He definitely never thought he'd ever have this conversation on a Ferris Wheel in his lifetime. He just thought they'd make out and watch the sunset, not discuss how his girlfriend was really a superstar pop singer. Miley grabbed his face gently and forced him to look at her.

"Jake, look at me – I mean, really look at me. Do you trust me?" Jake saw the truth in Miley's eyes and instantly knew she was telling him the truth. He nodded his head.

"I trust and believe you. I just can't believe that my girlfriend is actually…Hannah…Montana…" realization dawned on his face that he was dating _the_ Hannah Montana. He stared into space, his eyes not focused on anything, and took everything in.

Miley watched as he zoned out, a look of pure shock on his face. She called his name a few times and waved her hand in front of his eyes, but he only stared on into nothingness. Miley sighed in annoyance and rested her head on her propped-up hand, a look of complete boredom on her face. She blew an annoying strand of hair out of her face and waited for the ride to start up again.

On the way down, her thoughts began to take a negative spin, telling her that Jake no longer wanted any part of her and would rather have Hannah Montana as his girlfriend. As much as she tried to shut them out, they wouldn't leave her alone and crowded her mind so much that she began to believe them.

The ride finally stopped and the worker released the safety bar. Miley looked over at Jake and saw that he was still out of it. Tears brimmed her eyes as she remembered what her thoughts were telling her, but she willed for them not to fall. She got up and ran down the stairs of the platform, wiping away the few tears that escaped.

When Jake no longer felt a presence next to him, he snapped out of his stupor and looked around. He spotted Miley briskly walking toward the park's exit and ran to catch her. He called her name, but she ignored him, shaking her head as she continued walking away from him. He finally caught up with her and tugged on her wrist, forcefully turning her around to face him.

"Miley, what's wrong with you? Why are you walking away from me?" he noticed the wet tracks of tears and softened. "Why are you crying?" She shook her head and looked at the ground.

"I know you don't want to be with me – I got that. Why would you when you can have _Hannah Montana_," she spit out the name with disgust, "as your girlfriend instead. I'm sorry, Jake, but I can't do that. I can't be with someone who only wants my celebrity half. Telling you my secret was a mistake, and now I have to lose you to pay the price. I'm sorry." She turned to go, but he wouldn't let go of her wrist. He cupped her face in his free hand and made her look at him.

"Miley, how could you think that I'd choose anyone but you? I liked Miley before I found out she was Hannah Montana, and I _still_ like Miley after I found out. It's just a shock, that's all. It will take time to get used to, but I _will _get used to it and I will support you no matter what happens – whether it's Hannah or Miley. I promise that I will always choose Miley over Hannah. Besides," he grinned, "why could I date someone with as plain a name as 'Hannah' when 'Miley' is much more beautiful and unique? And it's not only the name that's beautiful and unique either."

He smiled when he saw a tiny smile appear on Miley's face and brushed his thumbs over her tears, wiping them away. He moved his hands into her hair, pulling some stray strands behind her ears, and gave her the most passionate kiss he possibly could. He felt her relax in his arms and give in to the kiss, deepening it even more.

They broke apart after some time and gazed into each other's eyes before walking hand in hand out of the park. They thanked the workers and stepped onto the boardwalk, where the nightlife was busier than the day's. Miley looked around, trying to think of something they could do before the night was over. She saw the pier and her eyes lit up. She turned to Jake and tugged on his hand, effectively getting his attention.

"Race you to the end of the pier!" and she took off running before Jake could digest what she said. He smirked and chased after her, gaining speed quickly.

Miley looked behind her and saw Jake on her tail. She squealed and tried running faster to escape him, but couldn't in time. Jake caught up with her and picked her up by the waist, throwing her over his shoulder while she laughed and screamed lightly. He spun around, causing her long, brown hair to fly in all directions. The onlookers smiled and chuckled, watching the young couple and reminiscing about when they were young and in love.

Jake finally put her down and kissed her sweetly, never able to get enough of her taste. Together, they walked to the edge of the pier and looked at the twinkling lights of the fishing boats scattered across the sea. A light breeze blew, causing Miley to shiver a bit from the cold. He noticed and wrapped his arm around her, gently rubbing her arm as she laid her head on his shoulder. And there they stayed, watching the dark ocean and listening to the soft crashing of the waves.


	6. After School Study Sessions

A/N: Hey guys! I'm sooo happy with all the reviews I got! Wow! lol. Well, I decided to take the advice of a few of you and came up with this next chapter. Don't worry, the story's not going to stay fluffy the whole time - there will be some other stuff going on. I just want to set the scene and make this story realistic, which means that they're not going to fall totally and completely in love in three days - that just doesn't happen in real life. But make sure you pay attention in this chapter - something important is happening!

This is going to be a two-part chapter because in order for me to get all of the stuff I originally wanted in one chapter, it would end up being 12 pages long! I know you don't want to remember 12 pages worth of stuff, so i broke it in half. Hope thats ok! And remember, the more reviews, the more motivated I am to update! (aka, I'll update faster)

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Wednesdays were always brutal for Jake; he had filming on Tuesdays, which left no study time, and he always had a pop-quiz in Biology on Thursdays. That, of course, meant he had to cram on Wednesday and finish all the homework he had due the next day, causing him to stay up into the wee hours of the morning. He wasn't stupid or anything, but he always had trouble studying and understanding the material. Unfortunately, his parents didn't come home until late, so even if he did ask for help, they were either too busy or too tired to help. 

Jake sighed and put his books away before shutting his locker, jumping when he saw Miley behind it. She just giggled, causing him to smile. She noticed the Biology book and study guide in his hand.

"Are you studying for the quiz tomorrow? You know, you really shouldn't procrastinate like that," he sighed and nodded.

"I know, but today's the only time I have. I had filming yesterday, so I couldn't do it then. I'm going to be up all night trying to figure this stuff out," he glanced at her and a light went off in his head. "Hey, you're decent at Biology, and I've heard that you come up with great study techniques. Do you think you could help me study after school? Please?"

Miley looked into his pleading eyes and knew she couldn't turn him down. She agreed to help and they made plans to meet at his locker after the last bell. He leaned in to kiss her, but she softly pushed him away and motioned with her head that there were people around. At his disappointed frown, she gave him an apologetic smile and a squeeze of his hand. He smiled softly at her, telling her he understood, and they separated, making their way to their classes.

After the last bell of the day, students poured out of the classrooms, excited about going home. Miley saw Jake waiting for her at his locker and smiled as she made her way over to him. He grinned and held out his arm for her to take, which she did, before leading her out of the building.

They made their way through the parking lot toward Jake's limo; Jake waving at some of his fans on the way and Miley rolling her eyes at the pathetic girls who threw themselves at his feet. They reached the limo and Jake opened the door for her, letting her get comfortable before stepping inside himself. Once seated, he turned to her.

"Hey, I've been to your house before, but you haven't been to mine. Can we study there? I want to show you something."

Miley looked at him uneasily, a bit nervous about being in an empty house with her boyfriend. She'd never done anything past kissing and hoped that Jake wasn't expecting more at his house. Jake saw the uneasiness in her eyes and immediately understood.

"We're not going to do anything but study, Miley, maybe watch a movie if we have time, but nothing like that. I promise, ok? I only want to show you something, I swear," she saw the honesty in his eyes and nodded, agreeing to go to his house. He smiled and kissed her softly, glad to finally be alone with her.

They reached his house and Miley looked out the window, incredibly surprised. She had expected to see an enormous mansion surrounded by acres and acres of land. Instead, what she saw was an ordinary house, not much bigger than hers. There were flowers all over the front lawn, making the house look like it came out of a garden magazine.

The limo pulled up to the front of the house and Jake opened the door for Miley. They waved at the driver before entering the empty home. He dropped his backpack on the living room couch and went into the kitchen to grab some snacks. She looked around, observing the little trinkets scattered around the room, when she noticed some pictures on the mantelpiece above the fireplace.

Taking a closer look, a small smile appeared on her face when she saw a picture of a young Jake riding his father's shoulders. He was covering the man's eyes with his tiny hands and giggling happily at the camera. She could see the happiness radiating from his bright green eyes and remembered seeing the same look at the amusement park. This was the Jake she liked the best – the crazy, unbelievably happy, childlike Jake Ryan.

She was startled by the small clinking of glasses, signaling Jake's return. She put down the picture and sat on the couch, pulling their books for studying. Jake entered the room with a handful of cookies and some lemonade, putting them on the table before taking a seat next to her.

"Shall we get started, then?"

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"That makes 206, I found a way that clicks!" Jake finished, excited about the song Miley taught him in order to remember the bones in his body.

She smiled and applauded, proud that he had memorized the whole song without a mistake, and more importantly, that he understood the material. Jake hugged her tightly, trying to tell her how grateful he was for her help. Miley squeezed him back, accepting the thanks. They pulled apart and he beamed at her, still excited about his new study technique.

"Ok, I think we've had enough studying. I know I'm going to ace that quiz tomorrow, so now we can relax. Do you want to watch a movie?" she smiled and nodded.

"That sounds great; what do you have?"

"Too many to name. They're all in my room, want to come pick one with me?" At her uneasy look, he hastily added, "I promise, we're not going to do anything – we're just going to pick a movie."

Miley hesitated a bit before finally nodding. Jake took her by the hand and pulled her up the stairs to his room. It was a typical boy's room – clothes strewn about, rock posters on the wall, girls in bikinis plastered on his closet door. At the last one, Miley raised her eyebrow at Jake, who only grinned innocently. He led her to his collection of DVDs and they spent a few minutes trying to find one they liked.

After a while, Miley asked to use the bathroom and left with the directions Jake gave her. He continued browsing through the DVDs, until he heard the front door open. Panicking, he looked at the clock and saw it was 6:15 – right around the time his mom normally came home. He swore under his breath when he heard his mom call his name.

He hadn't planned on having Miley stay so long and especially didn't want her to meet his parents yet. He'd never brought a girl home before, so his family didn't know the dos and don'ts of meeting the girlfriend, and he sure as hell didn't have time to teach them now. He racked his brain for a way to get Miley out of the house without running into his mom, but he came up empty handed. Maybe if she was in the room with him, the two of them could come up with a plan.

"Miley," he whispered harshly, trying to call her without alerting his mom.

"Miley!" he tried again, but Miley couldn't hear him from the bathroom down the hall.

Jake began pacing back and forth, trying to calm his nerves, when a knock on the door and a small "Jake" made him stop short. He swore again when he realized that his mother was outside the door, waiting for him to open it. Now he was really panicking – what if his mom got mad that he was alone in the house with a girl? He'd be in so much trouble, it wouldn't even be funny.

Mrs. Ryan stood outside Jake's bedroom and called his name again, this time a bit more forcefully. When he didn't respond, she began counting to three, threatening to open the door if he didn't open it himself. As she reached one, the door opened, revealing a disheveled head of blonde hair and nervous green eyes.

"Hey, mom. What's up?" Mrs. Ryan looked at her son suspiciously.

"Jake, why didn't you answer when I called you? And who were you talking to?" she pushed through the door and entered the room, closing the door behind her slightly.

Miley was fixing her makeup in the bathroom when she heard Jake's mom calling him. Curious, she cracked open the door and peaked outside, watching as Jake finally opened the door. She saw Mrs. Ryan step inside the bedroom, so she slowly inched down toward his room to hear the conversation. She leaned into the door, straining to hear through the small crack.

Jake visibly gulped and looked at his mom nervously.

"I wasn't talking to anyone, mom. I don't know what you're talking about," he stuttered nervously, trying to get his mom to buy his act. She didn't.

"Jake, I know I heard you talking to someone. I know I'm getting older, but I'm not deaf yet," she scolded lightly. Suddenly, a look of understanding crossed her face. "Were you having some 'Jakey Time'?" Jake looked at her, completely confused.

" 'Jakey Time'? What the hell is tha-" his eyes widened in horror as he realized what she meant. "Oh my go– MOM! I was _not_ doing _that_! Nor do I _ever_ do that! Jesus, mom!"

Miley realized what it was they were talking about and covered her mouth when she burst out into laughter. She swore she heard a snort escape, causing her laughter to double.

Mrs. Ryan looked at her son sympathetically, understanding how embarrassed he must be at getting caught in the middle of his 'alone time'. She shook her head sadly at him.

"Sweetheart, it's ok! It's a natural thing for teenage boys to do – they have certain urges and they need to complete them somehow. Would you rather talk to your father about this? I know how you boys always like having your 'manly' talks." With every word she said, Jake turned an even brighter shade of red.

"Mom, I don't have any…_urges_," he struggled to get the word out, "and even if I did, I wouldn't need to talk to dad about them!" he really didn't want to be having this conversation right now, _least_ of all with his mother. She only looked at him caringly.

"Of course you don't, sweetheart. Well, I'm going to start with dinner; I'll be downstairs if you need me," she turned and opened the door, only to be faced with a giggling girl.

Miley was laughing uncontrollably by this time. Poor Jake! She knew that having this kind of conversation with any parent must be tough, but she couldn't help laughing at how comical this one was. Her laughter was reduced to giggles, however, when she heard Mrs. Ryan open the door. The older woman jumped back in surprise before looking at her curiously. Miley smiled and looked at Jake, waiting for him to introduce her to his mother. He got the hint and, reluctantly, stepped forward.

"Miley, this is my mom. Mom, this is Miley Stewart," Mrs. Ryan's eyes lit up at hearing Miley's name.

"So you're Miley! I've heard so much about you – it's a pleasure to finally meet you!" She turned to Jake. "You told me she was beautiful, but I didn't expect her to be this stunning!" Miley blushed, not used to such compliments.

"Thank you, Mrs. Ryan, but I'm really not much to look at," Mrs. Ryan whipped around, both surprised and impressed.

"And modest, too! But really, sweetheart, you are a beautiful girl – don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You know, Miley, we'd love it if you'd stay for dinner; Mr. Ryan and I would love to know more about you," Miley smiled, but shook her head in response.

"I'd hate to impose…" Mrs. Ryan looked taken aback.

"Nonsense, dear. I'll go call your father and make the arrangements," Miley's smile faded and her eyes widened in horror.

"Dad! I completely forgot to call him and tell him where I am! He's going to kill me when I get home!" Mrs. Ryan smiled sympathetically at the girl.

"Don't worry, I'll explain everything. Which reminds me," she turned to Jake, a stern look on her face, "what exactly were the two of you doing? _Alone_?" Jake squirmed under his mother's harsh gaze.

"I asked Miley to help me study for the Biology quiz tomorrow, but we finished early and decided to watch a movie. Since all the DVDs are in my room, I brought her up here to pick one we both liked. Then she went to the bathroom, you came home, and here we are," at his mother's narrowed gaze, he quickly added, "That's all, I swear! Miley even taught me a song as a study technique and I can sing it to you later to prove it!"

Mrs. Ryan looked at him skeptically before excusing herself to cook dinner and call Mr. Stewart. Jake let out a sigh of relief and plopped down into a chair, gently massaging his forehead. Miley sat down on his lap and gave him a soft kiss.

"Oh come on, it wasn't so bad. Your mom seems like a really nice person," she giggled a bit and Jake looked at her with a straight face.

"Ok, how much did you hear?" she tried to contain her laughter, but failed miserably.

"All of it!" she burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.

Jake grinned and began laughing along with her, thinking back on the hilarious, but embarrassing, conversation moments before. They soon stopped and Miley smirked at him.

"Jakey Time, huh?" he smirked back with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Oh, I'll show you 'Jakey Time' alright!"

He proceeded to tickle Miley, causing her to shriek lightly and laugh so hard that tears leaked from her eyes. Jake smiled as he watched her laugh, loving the sound almost as much as when she sang. But it wasn't the peppy, uplifting songs Hannah Montana sung that caused his heart to swell; it was the soulful, acoustic songs Miley sung that he loved. He knew that those came from Miley's heart, not Hannah's producers.

She begged him to stop tickling her and he did, unable to deny her anything. Her laughter soon died down, with only the occasional giggle breaking through, and he looked up at her smiling face. He could smell her sweet scent and he nearly drowned in it when his senses went into overload. When he was with her, his body was heightened to the degree where all of the colors seemed brighter; all of the tastes seemed sweeter; all of the sounds seemed clearer; and everything he touched was softer.

He looked at her delicious, succulent lips and couldn't help but taste them. He crushed his lips onto hers and his world went into chaos. He felt her respond with passion, snaking her soft hands into his silky golden hair, playing with it gently. One of his hands gripped her neck lightly, pressing her into him more, while his other rested lightly on her hip.

Being with Jake made her feel so alive, so full of life; she couldn't explain it. When she was with Jake, everything faded away, leaving just him and her together. She didn't know what it was exactly, but with him, she felt complete – something she never thought she'd ever feel again. Even thought their relationship was still relatively young, he was her everything, and she'd be damned if she ever let him go.

The couple was so lost in each other that they didn't notice a tiny figure standing at the door.

"Gross! Stop eating her, Jake!"

They broke apart, startled by the intrusion, and turned to see a young girl standing at the door with her face scrunched up in disgust. Miley turned bright red at being caught in the act, while Jake scowled at his sister.

"Carley, don't you have somewhere else to be? Like a boarding school in Switzerland or something?" the girl narrowed her eyes at him before a sugar-sweet smile appeared on her face.

"That's funny, Jake. By the way, don't you have to jump out a window in your next episode? You know, maybe you should start practicing soon. I'll make sure to forget the safety net when you do," she raised her eyebrows, as if asking him to challenge her. He only sighed.

"What do you want?" she waved her hand, brushing off the question, and began walking down the stairs.

"Dinner's ready. By the way, she's really pretty."

Miley watched the interaction between brother and sister and was reminded of her and Jackson. Of course, their arguments were much crazier and usually ended up in her hitting him, but the witty insults were the same.

She turned even redder when she heard Carley's last comment, but couldn't help but feel honored that Jake's family thought she was pretty. Sure, everyone told her she was beautiful when she was Hannah, but she never received the same number of compliments when she was Miley. It felt nice to be called beautiful, and even nicer when strangers called her beautiful.

She felt Jake's hand grasp hers, pulling her out of his chair. They smiled at each other, briefly kissed, and made their way downstairs for dinner, each mentally preparing themselves for the onslaught of questions that was sure to come.


	7. Dinner with the Ryans

A/N: Hey guys! Wow! I got a lot of reviews! I'm so happy! You guys are so awesome - seriously! So I'm sorry that I didn't update sooner - I had finished the chapter, but my internet was acting up and I couldn't post anything. My bad. Well, here it is! And remember, make sure you pay attention to the different relationships going on - they will be important later!

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An awkward silence hung in the air as forks and knives scraped across the ceramic plates. No one said anything, other than "wonderful meal" or "pass the salt", mostly because no one knew what to say. Mr. and Mrs. Ryan didn't know where to start, since this was the first time Jake brought one of his girlfriends home. Jake was too busy, nervously looking between his parents, to strike up a conversation. Miley sat quietly, nervous about what Jake's family thought of her and feeling a bit out of place in the sea of blondes. Carley only watched on, wondering why her family was acting like a bunch of nit-wits. She decided to break the silence with a burning question.

"Are you two getting married?"

All eyes turned to the eleven year old and gaped at her. Miley and Jake turned pink, while Mrs. Ryan scolded her daughter.

"Carley! You don't go around asking people that! And no, they're not getting married."

The table resumed eating and the silence returned. Carley was annoyed that the table's occupants continued to act awkwardly around each other and couldn't gather the courage to start conversations. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jake taking a sip of water and she grinned evilly, the wheels in her head turning. She smirked a little at her plan, before casually asking another question.

"Are you going to have a baby?"

Jake spit out his water and began coughing violently, completely caught off guard. Miley turned bright scarlet, then proceeded to help Jake get the water out of his lungs. Mrs. Ryan dropped her fork in surprise and stared incredulously at her daughter, who only smiled back innocently. Mr. Ryan just sat there and studied Miley before propping his elbows on the table, folding his hands, and resting his head on top of his fingers.

"Yes, are you going to have a baby?" Mrs. Ryan whipped her head to face her husband, her eyes wide in shock.

"Richard!" he glanced at her briefly before looking back at Miley.

"It's only a question. Are you planning on going that far with my son?"

Miley squirmed a bit under his intense gaze, her cheeks tinted. Just as she was about to open her mouth, Jake stepped in and glared nastily at his father.

"Dad, that is _none_ of your business! This is not a court room and I will _not_ have you interrogating my girlfriend as if she was some common criminal!" Jake's eyes burned with anger and he glared at his father, before turning to Miley with a soft look on his face. "You don't have to answer that, Miley. It's none of their business and I'm sorry they're being really rude to you," he glanced angrily at his father and sister.

Mr. Ryan was surprised at his outburst; Jake had never talked to him like that before. He was even more surprised, however, by Miley's answer.

"Jake, it's ok. I'd be more than happy to answer the question," she turned and looked at Mr. Ryan dead in the eye and spoke from her heart. "Mr. Ryan, I'm fifteen, and although many girls lose their virginity around this time, I think it's too young an age to make that kind of commitment. Broken hearts tend to be it's result and I'm not ready for that. As much as I'd like to say I'm waiting for marriage, realistically, I know that won't happen. Instead, I'm waiting until I feel that I am emotionally and physically ready to, should anything happen, raise a child. I know that won't be for a while, but I'm happy to wait."

The whole table sat in awe of Miley's response and the silence was deafening. Not even Carley could disturb this one. Mr. and Mrs. Ryan stared at Miley, clearly impressed with the girl's answer. Jake looked at her with pride, adding 'values' on to his list of attractive qualities she had. Carley smiled at Miley, happy that her brother didn't bring home a complete airhead and finally found someone incredibly cool.

Wait, what the heck was she doing dating her brother for, then? Oh yeah, his fame.

Carley's smile turned into a scowl, but no one around her noticed. Mr. Ryan smiled at Miley, showing her how much he liked her.

"That was a very mature answer, Miley, and I'm glad Jake found a girl with wonderful values. I'm terribly sorry about my rudeness – I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't force Jake to stay with you by making him the father of your child. I've heard crazier things happen. I truly am sorry," Miley smiled at him.

"I understand, sir. People do crazy things for money," they all chuckled lightly and began telling stories of crazy things people had done.

Mrs. Ryan soon brought Miley into a conversation about her family and the dinner table had a great time listening to the funny antics of Miley's family. The ice was finally broken, and dinner was a success. Carley only looked on, scowling at how easily her family fell for Miley's act – and Miley finally noticed.

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While Jake was helping his parents clean up in the kitchen, he insisted that Miley wait for him in the living room, saying that it was rude to make a guest clean up. After a bit of arguing, she gave up and went into the living room to take a seat, but was surprised to find someone already waiting for her. She cautiously made her way to the couch, a bit intimidated by the hard look she was receiving. She sat down and looked everywhere but at the room's other occupant, trying her best to avoid the harsh glare. After a while, Miley couldn't take it any more. She turned to face them, a confused look on her face.

"I'm sorry, but did I do something wrong? Did I offend you somehow?" Carley raised an eyebrow, impressed that this girl had the guts to confront her.

"Oh, no. I'm just on to you, that's all," Now Miley was really confused, and it clearly showed.

"On to me? I really don't know what you're talking-" she was cut off by a sarcastic laugh, to which she slightly narrowed her eyes.

"Please, don't play dumb with me. I may be eleven, but I'm much smarter than I look. I know how you all work – make my brother fall for you, get him to buy you everything your shallow little heart desires, and milk him for his fame, just so you can become famous by association. Listen, doll face," at this, Miley raised an eyebrow, not believing how much attitude could come from an eleven year old, "the game is up. Just pack up your stuff and leave Jake alone. He looks like he really likes you, so if you're just going to use him, don't bother coming back here – I'll only make your life a living hell. My brother may be a complete idiot, but even _he_ doesn't deserve to get his heart stomped on."

Miley was surprised that such a big speech came from such a tiny girl. She could see that Carley really did care for Jake deep down, just like she cared for Jackson. She thought about what Carley said and cracked a grin, trying to keep in the laughter that was threatening to spill out. Carley was confused and a bit annoyed when Miley broke out into laughter, thinking that she was making fun of what she said.

"What's so funny?" Miley tried to keep her laughter under control.

"You think I want Jake for his fame and money?" she struggled out and burst into laughter again. Carley narrowed her eyes.

"Of course you are – why else would you be dating that loser?" Miley laughed so hard that tears leaked from her eyes. She finally found someone else who didn't fall all over Jake Ryan.

"That makes two people who don't swoon over 'Super Hottie Jake Ryan!'" she imitated Amber and Ashley, which caused Carley to laugh along with her. After their giggles subsided, Carley asked who the other person was.

"Me." At Carley's skeptical look, Miley laughed. "It's true! I used to hate your brother – I thought he was an obnoxious snob who used all of his celebrity powers for evil."

Carley laughed again and nodded in agreement.

"Yup, definitely sounds like my brother," they shared a few giggles before she looked Miley in the eye. "How do I know you're not using my brother? For all I know, you could be sucking him clean for revenge or something."

Miley sighed and debated telling Carley about her secret. The more she looked at the spit-fire girl, though, the more she knew that her secret would be safe. She hadn't planned on telling anyone else after Jake, but she felt she could make one small exception. She checked around her to make sure no one was listening and leaned in toward Carley, whispering.

"What I'm about to tell you is top secret – you can't tell a single soul, understand?" Carley, who looked genuinely interested, nodded her head vigorously. "Ok, the thing is…" she glanced around again before taking a deep breath, "I'm Hannah Montana." Miley was surprised when Carley burst into laughter.

"How gullible do you think I am? You? Hannah Montana? Please, I wasn't born yesterday," she laughed continuously until she saw how serious Miley's face was.

"You're serious? Fine," she crossed her arms, a skeptical look on her face, "Prove it."

Miley rolled her eyes and sang the chorus of one of her songs. When she was finished, Carley was looking at her with wide eyes and an open mouth, shocked to the core. She sputtered as she tried to think of what to say.

"You're Hannah Montana!" Miley tried to get her to keep quiet and glanced around to see if Jake's parents heard, while Carley bounced around in excitement. "Sorry, it's just that I've never been this close to a celebrity before!" Miley looked at her like she was crazy.

"Your brother's a celebrity." Carley only brushed it off.

"Yeah, but he doesn't count. So, you _have_ to tell me what it's like being a rockstar! Do you have your own dressing room? How about rhodies? Can I have your autograph?" Carley looked at her with dreamy eyes and Miley couldn't help but be reminded of Lily.

She laughed and told Carley all about her life; answering every question thrown at her and even giving her the autograph she asked for. They spent the rest of the time exchanging embarrassing stories about Jake, laughing and giggling as if they were sisters.

After a while, Jake finally finished cleaning up and joined their conversation. The two siblings soon began arguing over the correct recollection of their trip to the Grand Canyon, which turned into an insult-fest, leaving Miley to referee the battle of wits. Carley won, of course, for she was a brilliant girl for her age. Jake rolled his eyes at his sister before turning to Miley.

"Hey, I almost forgot. I want to show you something."

He pulled Miley up from the couch and took her by the hand, leading her out of the room. They heard Carley make a retching sound and laughed as they went through the door. Jake led her to a pair of French doors and told her to go outside, saying he'd be there in a minute. She watched him leave and looked back at the doors, debating on whether she should wait or not. She decided to go out, and gripped the elegant handle, giving it a light tug. The door creaked open and she stepped outside, trying to make out the objects in the dark. Suddenly, a series of lights flicked on and she gasped in surprise.

She was in front of a beautiful garden, full of all sorts of flowers. It looked as if it went on for miles and miles, and she wondered if she was in some sort of dream. She noticed a gazebo a bit father down, doused in twinkling lights and covered in vines. She heard the door close behind her and felt a hand slip into hers, squeezing her fingers lightly. She turned to him, a large smile on her face.

"Wow, Jake, this is amazing! It looks like we're in a magazine!" Jake smiled at her.

"I thought you might like it. My mom really likes flowers, so when we first moved here, I used my acting money to build her a huge garden instead of a pool. If we had more time, I'd show you around, but it's a school night and I don't want your dad to hate me," Miley chuckled, knowing he was right about her father, and looked back at the garden.

"It really is beautiful, Jake," he watched her as she looked out over the garden.

"It's even more beautiful now that you're in it," she turned back at him with glossy eyes, trying hard not to cry.

He brushed some strands of hair away from her face and cupped it gently, running his thumbs over her smooth cheeks. He saw her eyes flutter close, enjoying the tingling sensation his touch gave her. He brought his lips down to hers and kissed her softly, relishing in her sweet taste. She brought her hand up to this neck and kissed him back just as softly, feeling like she was floating on air. They were oblivious to the world that surrounded them, only acknowledging the sweet scent of the flowers and the soft glow of the twinkling lights.

Mr. and Mrs. Ryan watched the young couple from the kitchen window, smiling at the obvious love that radiated from them. They were so happy for their son, proud that he picked a wonderful girl with a good head on her shoulders. They had watched her interaction with their daughter and were glad that they got along well. They could see how serious Jake was about her – more so than any other girl he had dated (from what they heard, anyway). Mrs. Ryan rested her head on her husband's shoulder as he gently rubbed her arm.

"I hope she doesn't break his heart," Mr. Ryan looked down at his wife before kissing her forehead lovingly.

"I don't think she will – it's him I'm worried about."

Mrs. Ryan didn't say anything, only looked out at the kissing couple. She truly hoped that Miley didn't break Jake's heart – he would be devastated if she did. But deep down, Mrs. Ryan knew she wouldn't; she was too sweet of a girl to do so. She only hoped that her son wouldn't be foolish and break Miley's.

The young couple broke apart, and Jake rested his forehead against Miley's. Their eyes were closed and their breathing was deep, trying to calm the beating of their racing hearts. This was how it was supposed to be – wrapped in each other's arms, listening to each other's breaths, and feeling each other's hearts. The only sounds heard were the chirping of the crickets and the rustling of the breeze.

A clap of thunder was heard overhead, signaling the approaching storm. With her eyes still closed, Miley released a breathy whisper.

"I have to go; my dad's probably worried about me."

Jake nodded and reluctantly let her go, leading her inside just as the first raindrops began to fall. Mr. Ryan offered to take her home, which she gladly accepted, and she said goodbye to the family.

She thanked Mrs. Ryan for the wonderful meal and for helping clear things up with her father. Mrs. Ryan only hugged her in response, telling her that she was welcome to come back any time. Next, Miley moved onto Carley and winked at her, giggling when Carley pretended to zip her mouth shut about her secret. Miley promised to come back soon and tell her all of the embarrassing things Jake did at school, to which Jake scoffed and pouted. Miley laughed and gave him a chaste kiss, promising to see him at school the next day. He smiled at her and nodded, kissing her a bit more powerfully, before letting go when Carley coughed to get their attention. Miley blushed, waved goodbye, and made her way into Mr. Ryan's car. They pulled out of the driveway and disappeared down the street.

Jake stared after them dreamily, thinking of Miley during each rumble of thunder. His mother wished her children goodnight and warned them not to stay up too late before going to bed. Jake ignored her, still staring outside. Carley rolled her eyes at his pathetic behavior and called out as she made her way upstairs to go to sleep.

"You've got it so bad, it's disgusting."

Jake didn't tear his gaze away from the window, only watching the raindrops. He smiled lightly when a large clap of thunder echoed in the sky.

"Yeah, I really do."

He sighed wistfully and watched the rain a bit longer before shutting off the lights and making his way to bed, dreaming of Miley's smiling face.


	8. Devious Plans

A/N: I'm so sorry for the lack of update! I've been super busy, and I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter - major writer's block! EEP! But yeah, I pulled through and finally finished it, and I've already got the rest of the story planned out, so it shouldn't take me as long to write another chapter.

Holy crap! I got so many reviews for the last chapter and it made me soooo happy! Wow, didn't know that many people liked it so much - I actually thought it was one of my lamer chapters lol. Funny how that works, huh? And I know a lot of you were disappointed about Miley telling Carley her secret so quickly, but trust me, it's important that she does. Everything in this story happens for a reason - even the crazy things! And btw, make sure you pay attention to all of the individual relationships going on in this story other than just Jake and Miley (aka Miley/Carley, Jake/Mom, Miley/Dad, Miley/Lily, etc). They're really important and a lot of the conversations that they have are really significant for the story's plot. Ok, I'm done ranting now - have fun reading!

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Miley bounded down the stairs, excited for her girl's day with Lily. She hadn't been spending much time with her recently and she felt bad that Lily was taking a backseat to Jake. Lily said she didn't mind, but Miley wanted to make it up to her by spending the day getting manicures and shopping, knowing that Lily wouldn't refuse such an offer.

Then again, who would?

Miley jumped down the last step, startling her father, who was whipping up a big breakfast in the kitchen. The smell of bacon and toast filled the air and she breathed in the heavenly scent. She looked over at Jackson who was stuffing his face with multiple food groups. She looked at him in disgust when he shoved three eggs and a slice of cantaloupe down his throat – at the same time. Shuddering, she turned to her dad, putting on her best angelic face.

"Daddy, can I have some money, please? I'm going to spend the day at the mall with Lily," Mr. Stewart shared a look with Jackson and nodded, reaching for his wallet.

"Sure, Darlin'. Spend as much as you want. Stay out as late as you want. In fact, feel free to spend the night at Lily's."

Miley looked at her father suspiciously. He never forked out money this easily – he was a serious penny-pincher and constantly reminded his children about it. The day he gave her an unlimited spending amount would be the day Uncle Earl looked remotely attractive – in other words, it was never going to happen. Something was definitely up, and she was about to find out what.

"Ok, what's going on? Those words never leave your mouth. Something serious is wrong here," her face took on a look of panic. "Oh god, did somebody die?" Mr. Stewart chuckled slightly.

"No, Bud, nobody died."

Jackson muttered a small 'Yet', causing Mr. Stewart to glare at the boy. Miley continued watching them suspiciously, but decided to not question her father's sudden generosity. She was a teenage girl, after all, and any money is good money.

"Ok…well, I'm off. Lily's mom is going to be here any seco-" her phone beeped, signaling that she had a text message from Lily, saying that she was outside. "Actually, she's here right now. See ya!"

She bolted out the door before either male could say anything, a resounding slam echoing behind her. Mr. Stewart quickly walked to the window, checking to see if Miley had truly left, and grinned when he saw the empty driveway. He turned back to Jackson, an evil smirk on his face, and nodded. An identical smirk appeared on Jackson's face and he picked up the phone, dialing a number on a card in his hand. He waited patiently for the person to pick up. A groggy voice finally answered.

"Hello?" Jackson smirk grew wider when he realized he wouldn't have to leave a message.

"Hey, it's Jackson – Miley's brother. Yeah, Miley's in the shower right now, but she wanted me to call you and ask you to come over to hang out. Something 'bout a surprise or whatever." The voice on the other line perked up.

"Another surprise? Wow, she spoils me so much. Alright, I'll be over soon."

Jackson hung up and grinned at his father, who grinned back. They finished breakfast, cleaned up the dishes, and got dressed; readying themselves for their guest's arrival.

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The girls gossiped as the manicurists massaged their hands, treating their nails with the utmost care. Miley told Lily all about her Wednesday afternoon with the Ryans, not skipping over any details. Lily burst out laughing when Miley told her about the mother-son conversation Jake had, earning stares from the rest of the salon.

"Oh man, this is way better than TV! I'm going to mock him for the rest of his life now."

Miley continued, sighing dreamily when she reached the part about the Ryans' garden. Lily awed at the appropriate times, wishing she would meet someone as romantic as Jake, or anyone romantic at all. Miley noticed the sad look on her face and stopped, feeling bad that she was ranting to Lily about her relationship when she was supposed to be spending quality girl time with her. Quality girl time, of course, meant no boys, but by telling Lily about Jake's cuteness, Miley felt like she was breaking that rule. So she decided to turn the tables and talk about what was going on with Lily.

"So, what have you been doing lately? Anything I should know about?" Lily racked her brain, trying to think of something she did.

"Um…I hung out with Oliver…and then I hung out with Oliver…and then I hung out with Oliver some more…" Miley sighed, knowing that this was going to go on for some time.

"Ok, I get that you've been hanging with Oliver," she suddenly grinned. "You know, you've been spending a lot of time with him recently. Is there something going on between you two?" Lily gave her a blank stare, blinking a few times.

"Well, we do have a bet going on – you want to know what it's about?" she got excited, nearly jumping out of her seat before the manicurist gave her a nasty glare, causing her to sit back down. Miley looked at her like she was crazy.

"Lily, that's not what I meant. What I mean is, is there something going on _romantically_ between you two?" Lily stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Me? And Oliver? Together?" there was a long pause before she shrieked, "Gross! Miley, what's wrong with you?! I think I'm going to be sick…" the manicurist's eyes widened and she withdrew her hands, afraid of being in the splash zone. Lily glared at her. "It's a matter of speech." Miley rolled her eyes and chuckled silently.

"I think you mean 'figure of speech', Lily." Lily just brushed it off.

"Details, details. Now, I can't believe that you thought Oliver and I were dating," she lifted her hands up, much to the annoyance of her manicurist, and began waving them around. "The idea of it is just…_wrong_," she shuddered for effect.

Miley laughed at her friend and dropped the subject, moving on to more important topics – like celebrity rating. It was a tradition of theirs to rate all of the male celebrities on a scale of one to ten based on appearances, habits, acting/singing careers, and rumors. It was always fun and Lily's favorite pastime, and effectively took her mind off of potential romantic relationships with her best friend.

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The doorbell rang at the Stewart residence, echoing loudly in the near-empty house. Mr. Stewart calmly folded his newspaper and walked to the door, ready to put his plan into action. He opened the door and saw Jake standing there patiently with a small smile on his face. He grinned at the boy, glad that phase one was successfully completed, and motioned him inside.

"Hey, Jake. What brings you by the house?" Jake looked at him, a bit confused.

"Jackson told me that Miley wanted me to come over…" Mr. Stewart shook his head.

"Sorry, Miley's not here right now, but please, take a seat." Jake was getting a bit nervous now – something wasn't right about this.

"Thank you, Sir, but I think I'll just head home…" he turned to leave, but Jackson stepped out from behind the door and closed it, trapping him in the house. Jackson raised an eyebrow.

"I believe the man asked you to sit down. If I were you, I'd do what he says."

Jake looked between the two men, a bit more than scared. His thoughts were filled with the Stewarts dismembering his body limb by limb, causing him to panic even more.

'Oh, this is _so_ not good.'

Jake slowly sat down on the couch, nervously looking up at the towering Stewart men, afraid of what was going to come. The two looked at each other and nodded before Mr. Stewart spoke up.

"So, _Jake_, you've been dating my daughter for about a month now, am I right?" Jake's response was so quick, it surprised even him.

"Actually, it's been three weeks and three days, Sir." The Stewarts looked at him strangely, before shaking it off and moving on to their next question.

"And each of these times, you've been…_alone_…with my daughter?" Jake knew where he was going with this, so he answered him reassuringly.

"Miley and I have not, and will not, be going that far with our relationship. She has made her stand on that issue and I completely respect her for it – even agree with her on some points. Also, the reason why we've tried to keep our dates private is because of my fame – we both want to keep a low-key relationship that will stay out of the press so we can spend more time together. She deals enough with them as Hannah Montana; she doesn't need it as Miley." Mr. Stewart was impressed, while Jackson sputtered.

"How…how did you know she was Hannah?" Mr. Stewart's face fell when he realized his son was right – now there was another person who knew their little secret, and this one could potentially spill it if he and Miley were ever to break up. Jake noticed their panicked faces.

"Miley told me, and don't worry, I'm not going to tell her secret. Actually, it was a pretty smart idea; I wish I thought of something like that when I started my career."

Mr. Stewart blinked, wondering whether this boy was too good to be true. It seemed like Jake was a little too perfect for his liking – there seemed to be nothing wrong with him. Racking his brain for other questions to ask, he was grateful that Jackson took over the interrogation.

"So, zombie-slayer, what are your intentions with my little sister? Hmm? Answer me boy!" Jake looked taken aback at Jackson's outburst, but tried to remain cool.

"I would if you'd let me" Jackson scowled, but let him continue. "Listen, I only want to be with Miley. She brings out the best in me, and I've never met someone like her in my entire life. I really like her a lot and I think we could have something great. I hope you'll be ok with us dating…" Jake trailed off, looking between Jackson and Mr. Stewart nervously. Jackson shrugged his shoulders.

"Sounds good to me," he took a seat next to Jake and began gushing, "So how do you get all those girls to fall over you? 'Cause I'm having some trouble in that area." Jake looked at him strangely and Mr. Stewart slapped his forehead in frustration.

"Jackson! Focus!" Jackson sprung up from the couch and took his place next to his father, a stern look on his face.

"Ahem, right," he suddenly got in Jake's face. "If you harm my sister, I'll make sure you aren't physically able to slay anything again, got it?" Jake nodded meekly, afraid of how bi-polar Jackson could be.

"I'll never let anything happen to her. I promise."

Mr. Stewart looked on silently, thinking about whether to give this boy his approval. Sure, he let Jake and Miley go out a few times, but he wanted to make sure his daughter would be safe. He still thought of Miley as his little Bud, the one who would never grow up. Well, now his Bud was blooming and turning into a beautiful flower, and he couldn't help but feel like an old weed who was trying to block her from entering the sunlight.

He knew Jake was a good kid – the gardener who would take care of his little flower, doing everything he could to let her survive. He could tell that Jake cared for her deeply, and he saw the way Miley looked at him. He'd never seen her so happy since her mother died, and to see her happy made him happy too.

The house occupants never noticed the shaggy-haired boy staring through the window, his brown eyes wide in panic. He quietly sneaked away, making sure not to notify the Stewarts of his presence, before quickly opening up his phone and sending one very urgent text message.

Mr. Stewart decided to give the boy a chance. He liked the kid and knew Miley liked him too, so why not let them be together? There was only one last question he had to ask, and it was the one that would determine how much he'd like Jake.

"What's your favorite sport?" Jake grinned, glad that the interrogation was over.

"NASCAR. I love speed," at the Stewarts' raised eyebrows, he hastily added, "with cars, not girls." Mr. Stewart smiled.

'Ding ding ding, we have a winner! I officially love this boy!'

His smile slowly turned into a smirk and he shared a knowing look with Jackson. He, too, smirked, and together, they looked back at Jake.

"You ever play 'Speedway 360'?"

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After their manicures and a bit of shopping, the girls decided to take a break and snag some lunch. Sitting in the food court, they talked more about celebrity gossip and Hannah's upcoming summer tour. Of course, they made sure to talk about it as if Miley wasn't Hannah Montana, in case anyone over-heard their conversation.

"Yeah, so Hannah's supposed to be hitting something like 25 states this summer. It's completely ridiculous!" Lily gave her a look of pity.

"That's harsh. How's she supposed to live without her best friend, Lola, for a whole summer?!" Miley stopped mid-fry and stared at Lily.

"Lola's not coming?! But I thought her parents were ok with it!" Lily shook her head sadly.

"There's no way she can go past California. Besides, she's vacationing with her family to _Vermont_," she spit out the name nastily, "to see how maple syrup is made. Honestly, the whole process is like watching tree-sap!" Miley stared at Lily for a bit.

"Lily, maple syrup _is_ tree-sap." Lily looked at her shocked, but it soon turned into disgust.

"And we put that on our pancakes! That's nasty! If I'd known that's what maple syrup was, I'd never put it on anything." Miley was confused.

"Wait, what'd you _think_ maple syrup was?"

"I don't know…some chemical concoction or another. If I'd known it was natural, I'd never have touched the stuff!"

Miley rolled her eyes at her and continued eating. There was a comfortable silence at the table, but it was disturbed by the small 'beep' from Miley's phone. She flipped it open to see a text from Oliver.

'_RED ALERT! jake + dad + jcksn + empty house BAD! get here soon!'_

Miley's eyes widened in panic. Her boyfriend was in a house, alone with her dad and brother – god knows the horrible things that were happening to him right at this minute! She began gathering her things, checking to make sure she had everything. Lily looked at her weirdly.

"What are you doing?" Miley didn't even glance at her.

"We're leaving – _now._" Lily started spluttering.

"What? Why? What about the rest of our day?" Miley only handed her the phone, watching as she read over the text message. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Miley, Jake is a big boy. He slays zombies for a living – I think he can handle this." Miley looked at her skeptically.

"He's never slayed the King of Overprotective Hillbilly Fathers and his trusty sidekick, the protective Sir Dork-A-Lot – no boyfriend can." Lily stared at her blankly for a few seconds before gathering all of her belongings.

"Lets go."

They quickly made their way out of the mall and into Mrs. Truscott's car. They never noticed the girl sitting behind them in the food court, gaping over what she just heard.

"Jake Ryan's dating Miley Stewart? Oh my god! I have to tell Jess!"

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Oliver was pacing nervously at the bottom of Miley's driveway, waiting for her to save Jake from his death-bed. He'd save Jake himself, but he did _not_ want to face the wrath of one angry Robby-Ray Stewart. In the world of dating and overprotective fathers, it was every man for himself.

He nearly jumped for joy when he saw Lily's car pull up and the two girls hop out. They quickly ran to him and he explained everything he saw, causing Miley to worry even more. She steeled herself, an angry expression on her face, and stalked toward her house, Oliver and Lily trailing behind her. Miley burst through the door, ready to scream at her family, but she stopped dead in her tracks, causing her two friends to bump into her.

They were playing video games.

Miley whipped around to face Oliver, growling menacingly.

"_Red Alert_, huh?" Oliver paled, scared out of his mind.

"I…I…I've got to go!" he bolted out the door, running down the driveway at full speed. Lily sighed and chased after him, waving good-bye to Miley and screaming at Oliver for ruining her girl's day.

"Oken, you better keep running, 'cause I'm going to mess you up so bad, your grandkids are going to feel it!" Miley chuckled lightly, before turning back to the oblivious boys on the couch.

The boys were in the middle of a very intense race, their eyes glued to the screen and their fingers eagerly smashing every button on their controller. Mr. Stewart was currently in the lead, but was closely being followed by Jake, who was being smashed into the guardrail by Jackson. Out of the corner of his eye, Jake thought he saw a very pretty brunette with a very angry look on her face, and couldn't help but be reminded of Miley. His eyes widened when he remembered who's house he was in, and he turned to her, a surprised look on his face.

"Miley!"

The Stewart men whipped their heads around, a horror-stricken look on their faces, and dropped the controllers. Miley was known to have quite the temper, and when she found out what they had planned behind her back, they knew they'd feel her full wrath. Mr. Stewart smiled weakly, trying to keep her from snapping.

"Hi, sweetheart. You're home early…" Miley saw through her father's attempts, which made her angrier.

"_What_ is going on here?" Jake knew that Miley was an explosion waiting to happen, and he did not want to be here when she finally did.

"I should go," he turned to Mr. Stewart and nodded, "Sir," he did the same to Jackson. "Jackson," he walked over to Miley and gently kissed her cheek. "I'll call you later." She continued to glare at her family, and he took that as his cue to leave. As soon as the door closed, Miley blew up.

"I can't _believe_ you! How could you go behind my back and interrogate my boyfriend like that!" At their shocked faces, she rolled her eyes. "Oliver told me everything – he saw you through the window. I thought you trusted me!" Guilt gnawed at Mr. Stewart; when she put it that way, what they did seemed pretty low.

"I'm sorry, Bud. It was wrong of us to go behind your back like that, but we wanted to make sure that this boy was good enough for you, and we couldn't do that if you were here. Boys act differently when girls are around – surely you know that." A look of understanding crossed Miley's face.

"So _that's_ what this morning was about. I knew there was something going on, but I didn't think it'd be _this_." She looked pointedly at her father, who looked down in shame, and Jackson, who scoffed.

"Well, _I_ wanted to tie you up and lock you in the Hannah closet, but Dad said no. At least that way, you would have known what we were doing." Miley narrowed her eyes and snarled.

"_What_?" Jackson realized what he said and backed away slowly, trying to placate his sister.

"Now, Miley, you have to understand," Miley started advancing on him, like a tiger would it's prey. "We did this because we love you! It's not like we purposefully devised an intricate plan to scare the kid away so we could keep you in the house until you're so old that no one would want to date you anymore."

Mr. Stewart mentally slapped himself at the boy's stupidity; he was _this close_ to getting away unscathed, and he had to go muck it up. Miley's eyes narrowed in anger and she let out a thundering roar, causing Jackson to jump in fear. He took off running, with Miley close behind, and let out a loud yell as he sped up the stairs. Mr. Stewart watched on, shaking his head sadly.

'Lord, what did I do to deserve this? I've got a kid with a temper hotter than the sun, and another with brains the size of a walnut. Why me, Lord, why?'

A fierce scream and the sound of shattering glass brought him out of his thoughts. He sighed again, ready to break up the fight, but decided that he was too tired to deal with them and sat down on the couch, restarting 'Speedway 360'.


	9. Secret's Out

A/N: Wow! I passed 50 reviews! That's pretty flippin' amazing if you ask me. Woot! Maybe we can make it to 60 this time?

I've already got Chapter 10 planned out, so review lots and it'll come up soon!

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Carley's eyes fluttered slightly as her body slowly began to wake up. She finally opened them, rubbing softly before blinking a few times to get them focused. Glancing at the clock, she threw off her covers and groaned lightly as she moved her tense muscles, trying to loosen them up. Getting up early wasn't new for Carley; she always made sure to wake up before her family so she could get the shower before Jake. He always took forever, not to mention taking up all the hot water. She yawned, shuffling toward her window to open her curtains to let in the warm sunlight, and let out a loud shriek. 

Millions of flashes went off as reporters shoved each other out of the way, trying to get a glimpse of the famous Jake Ryan. Carley hastily slammed the curtains closed and leaned against the nearest wall, trying to calm her racing heart. This was _not_ what she needed at six a.m., or at any time, for that matter. It was times like these that she wished she was an only child, or that her brother was an adopted genius from Malaysia, instead of the stupid actor her mom gave birth to.

'I'm going to kill him…'

At that moment, Mr. Ryan burst into the room clutching a baseball bat, closely followed by Mrs. Ryan, who had a vase, and Jake, wielding a golf club. They searched around frantically for the intruder, before resting their eyes on Carley, who was shocked at their entrance. When they saw she wasn't harmed and that there was no one else in the room, they lowered their weapons and Mr. Ryan sighed at his daughter.

"Carley, what's going on? You nearly scared us to death with that scream of yours." Carley narrowed her eyes, her anger returning when her eyes landed on Jake.

"You want to know what's wrong?" She thrust open the curtains, showing them the ridiculous display of the fighting reporters, and pointed a finger in their direction. "_This_ is what's wrong!" She shut the curtains again and crossed her arms, fuming. "Can somebody _please_ tell me why I have crazy paparazzi outside of my window?" She made sure to look pointedly at Jake, who frowned.

"How the hell should I know?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Maybe because _you're the only celebrity in the house_!" Jake only stared at her, a slightly bored look on his face.

"And?" Carley was really getting angry now, and it was starting to show.

"_And_ I could have been naked, you idiot!" Jake smirked lightly at her before smoothly responding.

"Well, if that were the case, the whole world would finally believe me when I say you're an extra-terrestrial."

Carley let out an angry roar and lunged at Jake, but was caught around the waist by her father and lifted off the ground, kicking and screaming. Jake had taken a defensive stance, ready to fight off his sister when she tried attacking, but was now being held back by his mother. They continued yelling at each other, trying to break free from their parents' grasps so that they could pummel the other, but neither parent let go. Finally, unable to take the noise, Mr. Ryan shouted at his children.

"That is _enough_! I will not have you two acting like animals in my house!" Ashamed, the siblings quieted and stopped struggling, not able to face each other. "We are a family and we sure as hell are going to act like one!" He turned to his wife and addressed her. "Can you call the police? We need to get these reporters off the property. I will not have my family be harassed like this."

Mrs. Ryan nodded and cautiously let go of Jake, not sure if he was going to start fighting again. When she saw he wasn't going to, she quickly left the room to dial the police. Mr. Ryan gently put Carley down and glanced sternly at his children.

"Hurry up and get dressed – you still have school today. And I swear, if I hear a word out of either of you, be prepared to look at the inside of your room for the next two weeks," and with that, he strode out of the room.

The two siblings glared at each other, and without a word, Jake stalked out the door. Carley let out a deep breath and sat on her bed, trying to figure out what she was going to do. There was no way she could shower now – not with all those paparazzi hanging around each window. She got up and went to her dresser, grumbling about Jake and his stupid acting, before getting dressed and making her way downstairs, a thunderstorm ready to break loose.

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Miley, Lily, and Oliver walked toward Seaview High School, laughing about yesterday's fiasco. The girls had forgiven Oliver for ruining their day, but he didn't escape without a nasty-looking bruise, courtesy of one Lily Truscott. As they trotted through the parking lot, they noticed a large gathering outside the main entrance and many flashing lights. Coming closer, they realized it was actually a large gathering of paparazzi, and they all seemed to be looking for someone. Curious, Miley tapped one the reporters, who swiveled around to face her with a raised eyebrow.

"Can I help you?" Miley glanced at her friends before looking back at him.

"Um, sorry, but what's going on?" The reporter looked around, as if on the lookout for someone.

"Looking for Miley Stewart; you seen her?" Miley's eyes widened and she glanced nervously at her friends.

"Uh, nope, I don't think she goes here. Maybe you should try…Oceanview…yeah, maybe she's down there-" She was cut off by Amber, who sneered at her.

"Why would paparazzi be looking for you, Stewart?" The reporter's eyes lit up at her name.

"You're Miley Stewart?" This seemed to have caught the other reporters' attentions, because suddenly she was swarmed by paparazzi and lights were flashing in her face.

"Why the big secret?"

"How long has this been going on?"

"What do you think everyone will say?"

Panicking, Miley backed up, her eyes frantically darting everywhere. Microphones were being shoved in her face, all asking for her comments, but she was so shell-shocked that she couldn't reply. How had they found out? She was so careful, and she knew no one had told. What was she going to do now that the world knew she was Hannah Montana?

Lily and Oliver watched helplessly as Miley was attacked with questions. They knew they had to do something, but nothing seemed to distract these reporters. Oliver suddenly got an idea and told Lily to follow his lead and that she'd know what to do when the time came. He hopped onto a bench and cried out, pointing at the parking lot.

"Holy crap! It's Jay-Z!"

All the reporters turned, trying to find the celebrity, desperate to get the inside scoop before anyone else. Lily snaked through the crowd and grabbed Miley's arm, quickly pulling her through the mob and into the school before the reporters realized what was happening. Oliver jumped off the bench and ran inside, nearly getting run over by the paparazzi in their attempt to locate Miley.

Once inside, Miley leaned against one of the lockers and buried her face in her hands. Her life, as she knew it, was now over and everything would be different. Everyone knew she was Hannah Montana and they were going to treat her like Hannah all the time. She didn't want this – she didn't want any of this. This was all stupid Hannah's fault…

Lily, noticing her friend's distress, quickly told her that she was going to find out what was going on and why Miley was being interviewed. Before Miley could tell her that she already knew, Lily had torn down the hallway and around the corner. Sighing, Miley slumped down the wall and onto the floor, bringing her knees up to her chest. She could hear all of the students whispering around her; pointing at her; staring at her.

Oliver leaned down and gave her a hand, which she gladly accepted, and gently led her to her locker, afraid that she might burst into tears at any second. He was not good at comforting girls, so he would take any safety precaution he could to ensure that Miley would not turn into a bumbling mess of tears. Knowing that Miley was still a bit out of it, he hit a certain spot on her locker, causing it to pop open for her, and took out her Geometry book.

Lily suddenly skidded in front of them, panting lightly as if she'd just finished a marathon. Noticing the strange looks she was receiving from her friends, she quickly explained.

"Ok, so I found out from Amy, who heard from Camille, who heard from Tanya, who heard from Brittney, who heard from Sam, who heard from David, who heard from his sister Lindsey-" both Oliver and Miley knew this would go on for some time, so they both cut in.

"LILY!" Startled, Lily stared at them, then got to the point.

"Cassie overheard us at the food court yesterday talking about how you and Jake are dating!" Miley stared blankly at her, blinking a few times.

"How Jake and I are…dating…" Suddenly understanding, she pumped her fist in the air, to the shock of the others. "So this isn't about," she quickly glanced around and whispered, "_Hannah_?" Lily shook her head.

"No, it's not. You and Jake are just the big celebrity couple right now. Most of the school knows, but those who don't are sure to find out by lunch."

Miley's smile faltered. Now the whole world knew about her and Jake, and they probably weren't going to be left alone. Although not as bad as her Hannah secret getting out, their secret relationship was still going to get her unwanted publicity and absolutely no privacy. She wondered how Jake was going to handle it when he found out everyone knew. The main doors opened and Jake walked in, his back toward them, still addressing the press.

"Guys, guys, there's plenty of Jake Ryan to go around. I'll answer your questions when school gets out. Right now, I've got to see my girl," he threw them a wink for good measure and closed the door.

'Of course, he'd handle it like a pro,' Miley thought darkly.

Jake approached them, acknowledging Lily and Oliver briefly before focusing on Miley. He smiled his camera smile at her and leaned down to kiss her, but was surprised when she pulled away.

"Jake, what are you doing?" she glanced around at all the eyes watching them. "There are people watching." He raised his eyebrow at her.

"Miles, everyone knows about us already – there's no need to hide anymore." He tried to kiss her again, but she pushed him off.

"Stop it! And don't call me Miles. Why are you acting like this? You know I don't like public attention."

She stared at him, wondering where the boy she knew had gone. This wasn't her same Jake – this was ego-Jake, the one she used to hate. She shook her head sadly at him, took the book from Oliver's hands, and turned to go to class. A hand grasped her wrist lightly, telling her to stay, and she turned around to face its owner. Jake was looking at the ground, slightly ashamed at his behavior.

"I'm sorry, Miley. I just don't want to have to hide my feelings for you anymore," he slipped his hand into hers and intertwined their fingers, "Can we start off slow? Hold hands, maybe?" He gazed into her clear, blue eyes, and she couldn't help but agree.

He smiled brightly at her and brought their intertwined hands to his lips, kissing them gently. She blushed lightly and smiled softly at him, glad to see her Jake back. He walked her to her class, smiling at each other the whole way and ignoring the stares and whispers that followed in their wake. At the door, he gave her a small kiss on the cheek, squeezed her hand lightly to tell her it was going to be ok, and left for his class.

Miley took a seat and opened her books, trying to pay more attention to the teacher than to the whispering students. She glanced at the clock and saw that she had four more hours until she'd see Jake at lunch. She silently wished time would fly faster, since she knew she'd handle the rumors better if Jake were there with her.

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Lunch had finally arrived and Miley was ready to see her boyfriend, as well as get away from all the whispers and rumors surrounding her. She was pulling her afternoon books out of her locker when she felt a presence behind her. Smiling, she turned around, expecting to see Jake, but frowned when she realized it was Amber and Ashley.

"What do you want?" Amber looked at her with disdain before plastered an artificial smile on her face.

"Hey Hillbi- I mean, _Miley_. How are you and Jake?" Miley looked at them suspiciously.

"Like I said, what do you want?" Seeing that her previous tactic wasn't going to work, Amber's sneer returned to her face.

"Listen, Hillbilly, I need a picture of you and Jake kissing so I can get the reward from the press. Now pucker up, Stewart, and smile for the camera," Miley was outraged.

"There's a _reward_ for a picture of us kissing? How sick can you people get?!" Jake, noticing the spat between the two girls, came and slid his arm around Miley's waist.

"What seems to be the problem, ladies?" Amber quickly put on a fake smile and gazed dreamily at Jake.

"Hi, Jake! You and Miley are such a cute couple, you know? Can you give us a kiss, so we can bask in your cuteness?"

The whole school heard Amber and saw the couple together. Most students knew of the reward and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get the famous kiss. They crowded around, all chanting "Kiss! Kiss!" and waiting to take pictures. Jake saw how uncomfortable Miley was, so he grabbed her hand and pulled her through the mob, breaking out into a run and dragging her behind him.

They ran into a classroom and slammed the door behind them, breathing heavily. The teacher looked at them strangely before hearing the screaming students outside. Taking pity on the couple, the teacher smiled at them and motioned them to hide behind the door before opening it and telling the students to go to lunch. Knowing Jake and Miley couldn't hide forever, the mob complied and went into the lunch room to wait.

After a while, the couple thanked the teacher and slowly exited the classroom, glancing around to make sure the coast was clear. Miley sighed and leaned against the wall, already dreading the hours left before it was time to go home. Jake looked at her and was saddened at how upset she was. When he saw someone leaving the cafeteria, he quickly took her by the hand and pulled her down the hallway before they could be seen.

Once again, they found themselves in front of the hidden roof door and they made their way up the stairs and into the bright sunlight. Glad to finally have peace, Miley sat against an air vent and closed her eyes, willing her tears of frustration to stay inside. Jake sat beside her and pulled her into his arms, trying to comfort her as much as he could. She let out a sad sob and buried her face in his neck, wishing nothing more than to be left alone with her boyfriend. He gently rubbed her back, murmuring soft words and continuously kissing her temple as she finally let out the tears she had been holding in all day.

Soon, Miley's sobs subsided and she pulled back from Jake's neck, wiping away any trace of her tears. Jake gently took her face in his hands and stared straight into her eyes, trying to tell her how much he cared for her without saying the words.

"It's going to be ok. It'll die down soon, and we'll stick together until it does." She smiled a small, watery smile at him.

"Thanks, Jake. I'll stick with you." She gave him a soft, lingering kiss, to which he responded just as softly.

Just then, the door burst open and a flash went off, signaling that someone had just taken a picture. The couple quickly broke apart and looked at the door, only to see Ashley waving her camera around and screaming down the stairs.

"I got it! I got the picture!" She turned back to the couple, grinning evilly. "This picture is going to make me rich! Not that I can be any richer, but now I'll be famous too!" Angry tears flowed down Miley's cheek and she screamed out in frustration.

"Just leave us alone!" She broke down again, unable to take the continuous harassment, and Jake gathered her into his arms, throwing Ashley a nasty glare.

"You got your damn picture – now get the hell out of here!"

Ashley huffed, not used to being dismissed, and stomped down the stairs, the door slamming behind her. Miley continued to cry, her sobs muffled by Jake's jacket, and with every sob, a piece of Jake's heart tore. He hated hearing her cry and swore to himself that he'd do everything he could to never let her cry again.

They just sat there, holding each other. She continued to sob and he gently rested his chin on her head, stroked her hair, and whispered "I'm sorry" over and over.


	10. Dating Disaster

A/N: Wow, it has been a while, hasn't it? So terribly sorry about that! I've been on vacation this past week and I just got back last night (right on time for me to write you a new chapter! YAY::COUGH::) Anyways, I'm truly excited about the number of reviews I got for the last chapter - I passed 60 reviews total! Woot! lol. I'm glad you all liked it, and I hope you guys like this one as well.

Alright, I have a little contest for you guys - see if you can find what I'm looking for. First person to give me the right answer gets the next chapter **_before anyone else_**. Yes, you read right. So, in order to win, you must

A) submit a review (this can't only be a 'I'm going to give my answer as a review', this has to be a comment of some sort)  
B) the answer.  
C) your email address.

And no worries, if you don't win this time, there will be other contests as well. Make sure you keep a look out for them! Now, here's the question I'm looking for.

**What scene from the movie, Transformers, did I use in this story, and where in the story is it? (Chapter as well as what part of the chapter)  
**

Remember, you must have both parts to the question and both must be correct. Good luck!

* * *

After a few days, Miley learned to block out the rumors and whispers of her fellow classmates. She figured that all the girls were only jealous of her relationship with Jake and were using nasty words as an attempt to break her spirit, but she wasn't going to let them. Jake wanted to be with her – only her. 

During class, she focused solely on the teacher's lectures as a way to ignore the hushed comments that floated around her, causing her grades to skyrocket upwards. She grinned when she saw her father's eyes light up at her progress report, signaling that Hannah was still on for her summer tour, and knew that her way of dealing with her classmates was working. Only when a particularly nasty comment was thrown her way would a lone tear slip down her cheek and splash onto her desk, proving to herself that she wasn't completely immune to the hatred surrounding her.

The press, however, was a completely different story. Ashley's picture of their rooftop-kiss was run in every newspaper and tabloid, along with numerous headlines including the words 'Jake Ryan', 'secret girlfriend', and 'scandal'. Every day, new stories about their relationship would surface, each becoming more ridiculous than the next. Although none of them were true, these stories fed the rumor mills of Seaview High School, creating even more whispers amongst the students.

Jake had handled the situation with movie-star style, giving the press the whole story and why they had kept themselves secret for weeks. His famous celebrity smile was plastered all over the television, causing Miley to frown every time she saw it. She hated that smile – that fake, arrogant, slapped-on smile. It reminded her of what Jake used to be, and she never wanted to see that Jake again. She let it go, though, since the smile was directed at the press and not at her.

Ever since their relationship was leaked, the couple hadn't had a single second alone together. Jake was busy doing press control while Miley was trying to horde off the vicious girls' cutting words. Both thought that being seen together would cause more chaos and decided to let things simmer down a bit before publicly continuing their relationship. Neither of them particularly wanted this, but they thought it was the best idea for now, so they went on with their lives as usual.

It was finally the end of the week, and Miley couldn't wait to get away from school. This weekend was supposed to be nothing but peace and tranquility; a nice change from the hectic week she'd experienced. She was pulling her books from her locker, ready to go home, when a flash of blonde hair caught her eye. She looked over to the left and smiled. Jake was next to her, leaning against the locker, with a small dandelion in his hand. He smiled back at her and held out the flower.

"For you, my lady." She giggled at him before putting on a fake frown.

"Gosh, I gave my boyfriend a free day at an amusement park, and all I get from him is a weed? Why do I feel like I'm on the wrong end of this relationship?" He laughed before wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her to him slightly and looked down at her.

"Maybe this will change your mind."

He swooped down to give her a kiss, sucking the air out of her lungs and leaving her weak at the knees. It'd been too long since she'd felt one of his kisses and lord did it feel _good_. Realizing that they were at school, she softly pulled away, laughing when Jake tried to kiss her again. She looked around, seeing students openly staring at them, and looked back at Jake.

"Jake, the people…" He glanced around and looked back at her.

"Miley, they're going to talk about us anyway," he smirked lightly at her, "might as well give them something to talk about," he was about to kiss her again, but he saw the pleading look in her eyes and sighed.

"Alright. We don't have to if you don't want to." She gave him a small, apologetic smile.

"Thank you for understanding. It's just…the rumors are starting to die down – I don't want to give them a reason to start up again, that's all." He let out a breath of air and nodded.

"It's ok. I want them to stop too," he looked at the ground, thinking, before his head flew up, his eyes sparkling. "Hey, do you want to go out tonight? That new movie is supposed to be great!" Smiling at his excited state, Miley nodded.

"Sounds great. I've been wanting to see it, and…" a small blush crossed her cheeks, "I've missed you." Jake's face softened and he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"I've missed you too, Miley."

He placed the dandelion in her hair, stroked her cheek, and told her he'd pick her up tonight at seven. She watched him walk off, silently wondering how she got so lucky to end up with him. Smiling, she closed her locker and made her way out front, waving at Oliver and Lily, who were patiently waiting for her. They all chatted animatedly on the way home, all of them relishing the fact that the weekend was finally here.

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The date turned out to be a complete disaster.

When they had first walked in to the theater, they were suddenly swarmed by screaming fans, not believing that Jake Ryan had walked into their Friday night. Miley was soon pushed out of the crowd, silently brooding over all the attention her boyfriend was receiving. He put on that damn smile again and began signing autographs, laughing at the lame jokes thrown around by flirting girls. Ego-Jake had arrived, and Miley hoped he would be exiting just as quickly as he came.

After twenty minutes of autographs, Jake noticed his angry girlfriend standing outside of the crowd and cursed himself for forgetting about her. He quickly excused himself, much to the annoyance of his fans, and made his way over to her, giving her an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry – I can't exactly turn off being famous. We don't have to stay if you don't want to." Her face softened and she smiled lightly at him, glad that he was back to his normal self.

"No, it's ok. I understand how it is to be a celebrity. We should watch the movie – it's supposed to be good."

Jake grinned at his girlfriend, glad that she was so understanding, and slipped his hand into hers. They headed into their theater and, under the cover of darkness, snuck into the very last row. Glad to finally be alone, the lovebirds took their seats and watched as the opening credits began to roll.

An hour into the movie, Miley felt Jake's thumb softly stroking the back of her hand. She smiled at the soothing gesture and turned to him, catching a whiff of his scent as she did. Closing her eyes, she let the smell of him waft over her senses, clouding her mind and causing her heart to beat rapidly. She slowly opened her eyes, gazing at him through half-lidded orbs, no longer interested in watching the movie. She could see the similar arousal in his own eyes and licked her suddenly dry lips, watching as his eyes trailed her tongue's path. He stared at her lips longingly for a few more seconds, before gazing up at her, his pupils dilated with arousal.

They both leaned in and he crushed her lips with his, trying to take in as much of her as he could. She responded just as heavily, threading her fingers through his silky, blonde hair and pushing his head onto hers more forcefully. She felt like she had died and gone to heaven, basking in the sight and smell and taste that was Jake Ryan. This was what she had been missing all week; what she had been craving all week.

He devoured her, nearly dying from the sweet taste of Miley's lips. He had wanted this all week - alone time with his incredible girlfriend. He knew what she went through this week and felt a stab in his heart at her pain. Why people would treat her so horribly was beyond him; she was every man's perfect dream. He was brought back into the world when he felt Miley lightly caressing his shoulder; her touch was electrifying and it seared through his skin. What he was experiencing now was too amazing for words.

The movie long forgotten, they kissed as if it were the last thing they were ever going to do. Her fingers danced in his hair; his fingers grazed her arms. Jake swiftly pulled her onto his lap without breaking lips, softly stroking her back through her shirt. Miley smiled into the kiss and cupped his neck, bringing him into her more. He grinned at her gesture and lightly nipped at her bottom lip in response.

A bright light blinded the couple and they broke apart, searching for the source of the interruption. An usher was tapping his foot on the ground, his flashlight shining in their direction, and an angry look upon his face.

"If you're not going to watch the movie, get out. This isn't make-out town, so get a move-on," once he recognized Jake, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "You-you're Jake Ryan!"

A million heads swiveled around at the name and soon, the couple was once again surrounded by screaming fans. Miley groaned and sank into her seat, angry that her date had been spoiled, while Jake slipped on his arrogant smile and signed autographs. After a while, the crowd grew as more people crammed into the theater. It seemed that word of Jake's appearance had spread to the entire building, and viewers as well as employees all wanted a piece of Jake Ryan to take home. A bored Miley let out a breath of air and turned to her boyfriend with a slight frown.

"I think I'm just gonna head home. I'll see you later," Jake looked over at her with his signature smile but regret in his eyes.

"Sorry, Miley. Want me to take you home?" Miley glanced around at the screaming fans and shook her head.

"No, it's ok. You do what you gotta do – I understand. It's not your fault. See you."

He nodded and turned back to his eager fans, his smile still in place. Miley sighed, silently wishing he'd go against her wishes and take her home anyway, and pushed through the rambunctious sea of screaming fans. She glanced back once more, unable to see him through the thick crowd, and walked out of the theater.

Once outside the building, she flipped open her phone and called her dad, asking him to pick her up. When he asked why she was coming home early, she looked at the ground and begged him not to ask. Sighing, he consented and promised to be there as soon as he could. She closed her phone and looked at the giant clock outside the theater, not noticing someone approach her, and let out a loud scream when she felt ice-cold liquid splash on her front. She looked down to see herself dripping in soda and looked up at the girl in front of her with wide eyes. The girl sneered at her while shaking off the last drops of soda from her large cup.

"That's for stealing Jake Ryan from us fan girls who deserve him!" Miley looked at her, shocked and angry.

"Are you _kidding_ me?!" The girl smirked at her, happy with what she accomplished.

"Well, that was two dollars well spent," she looked Miley up and down, "What he sees in you, I have no clue. All I see is an ugly, wet dog." The girl laughed and walked off, leaving behind an angry and hurt Miley.

Miley willed her tears to stay inside, not wanting to break in front of those who despised her – she would not let them win at any cost. She still had what they all wanted – a relationship with Jake Ryan – and she was not going to give it up, no matter what they did to her. A crack of thunder startled her and she looked up at the sky, hoping it wouldn't rain while she was still outside. It seemed like the down-pour would hold off a little longer, for which she was happy.

She sat down on a bench, thinking about the girl's words again. Was it really that hard to see why Jake could like her? Was she so out of his league that it seemed impossible that they were dating? Why _did_ Jake like her? All of these thoughts were plaguing her head, poisoning her mind into thinking she wasn't worthy of the superstar. She didn't want to believe them, and she tried to ignore them, but many of them did have good points that she couldn't deny, no matter how hard she tried.

Miley was brought out of her thoughts by a small honk. She looked over to see her father's truck and smiled at the silly grin her father was wearing. She got up, wringed as much soda from her shirt as she could, and walked over to the truck. Getting inside, she buckled herself in and let out a tired sigh before resting her head against the window. When her father questioned her about her shirt, she begged for them not to talk about it, so he reluctantly nodded and drove home just as the first rain drops hit the ground.

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Miley was finishing up some homework in her room when her house phone rang. She listened to another clap of thunder before answering the phone. A familiar voice was heard on the other line and she couldn't help but smile.

"Hey. Just calling to see how you're doing. I'm sorry about the movie – I thought everyone would have calmed down by now. Guess not." They chuckled together until he finally stopped. "Did you get home ok?"

Miley's smile fell. Her mind flashed back to the girl's words, causing tears to well up in her eyes. Maybe she was right – maybe she didn't deserve Jake. Realizing that Jake was still waiting for her answer, she shook her head to rid herself of her thoughts. She didn't want to tell him about the incident outside of the theater – he already felt bad enough as it is and she didn't want to make him feel worse. So she lied.

"Yeah, it was no problem," trying to cover the sadness in her voice, she laughed lightly. "Did you get eaten alive by your fans?" Jake laughed on the other end.

"Close, but no. I probably won't be able to write anything for the next week though. Hey, you think I could get a break from homework with that excuse?" Miley rolled her eyes.

"Just because you're a star doesn't mean you're going to be treated any differently than us; especially since the teachers have gotten used to you by now. How long has it been since you moved here, three years?" Jake scoffed.

"Yeah, yeah. I still think I could get away with it if I threw on the charm." She laughed half-heartedly before quieting down. The thoughts were back. The phone was silent for a while. "Miley? Are you ok?" She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and softly spoke.

"Jake, maybe…maybe us dating isn't such a good idea after all. I mean, you're way out of my league and I don't want to drag you down the social ladder. You deserve someone who's pretty, classy, popular. Obviously, that's not me."

The other end was quiet; only a crack of thunder disturbed the silence. Miley was ready to hang up, knowing that what she did was the right thing, when she heard an audible sigh from Jake's end.

"Miley, where is this coming from? You're beautiful, smart, amazing, funny, and the perfect girl for me. I'm so, _so_ happy when I'm with you, and _nothing_ is going to change that. Whoever put these kinds of thoughts into your head is a complete idiot to think that I deserve someone other than you. You mean everything to me, Miley." With every word he said, her heart swelled with pride, as well as something she couldn't quite describe.

"Thank you, Jake. I'm happy with you too. I'm sorry I doubted our relationship." She could feel Jake's smile radiating from the other side.

"It's ok. I understand," there was a bit of rustling and a shouted 'I'm coming!' before he came back to the phone. "Sorry, my mom's calling. Don't go, though, because it'll only take a second. Here, talk to Carley. Carley, talk to Miley…because mom's calling me…quit acting like a baby, it'll only take a few seconds!" there was more rustling before a new voice came on.

"Hello? Miley?" Miley smiled, glad to hear the girl's voice again.

"Hey, Carley. What's up?"

The girls chatted for a while, talking about Hannah business as well as exchanging stories about Jake. They giggled and laughed, enjoying each other's company, before Jackson walked into Miley's room, huffing.

"Will you get off the phone? There _are_ other people who need to use it, you know." Miley glared at him.

"Why don't you use your cell phone?" Jackson grumbled at the mention of his cell phone.

"Dad took it when he saw my grades. Now get off the damn phone!" Miley rolled her eyes and turned back to Carley.

"Sorry, my idiot brother is whining about using the phone. Tell Jake I'll talk to him later, ok? Bye." She hung up the phone and tossed it to Jackson, who had a look of interest on his face.

"Who were you talking to, anyway?" Miley scoffed before answering.

"It's none of your business, but if you really must know, it was Jake's sister, Carley." Jackson's eyes lit up.

"Jake has a sister? Is she hot? Is she single?" Miley looked at her brother in horror.

"She's eleven!" Jackson gagged and paled, realizing that he had thought about asking out an eleven-year-old.

"Oh god…I think I'm going to be sick…" he rushed out of the room, leaving behind an incredibly disturbed Miley.

"I need to scrub this out of my brain! You better not be hogging the bathroom!"

She raced out of the room, fully intent on erasing the horrible image of her brother and Carley together, as well as beating him up for implanting the image in her head in the first place. It was going to be a long night.


	11. Heartfelt Goodbyes

A/N: God, I am _so_ sorry everyone! I have to be _the_ biggest jerkface ever. Man, it's been, what, almost 3 weeks? Man, I am a jerk! No excuses or anything, but I started my Senior year the day after my last chapter and it's been crazy as hell ever since lol. Not to mention that I had THE WORST WRITERS BLOCK EVER. Seriously, it was pathetic. Even my shower couldn't provide me with inspiration (that's where I get all my inspiration for everything I do - my shower). As compensation, however, I have written you the longest chapter I've ever written, as well as a small oneshot from earlier this week - **Hello Beautiful**. It's not that great, but it is kinda cute-esque. Yeah, so anyway, I _will_ try to update faster this time, so don't shoot me!

I'd also like to say thank you for all the reviews! I just counted them and nearly passed out when I read that I got **17 reviews** last chapter! 17! That's how old I am lol. Wow, that makes me feel so flipping awesome, guys. I love you all, you are the ones that keep me writing! Holy crap, I just realized that if I get the same number of reviews as last time (which I probably wont, but I can dream, can't I?), I'll reach 100 reviews! Now that would be momentous. Psh, and I thought reaching 50 was a big deal...

And as a way for me to end this obscenely long author's note that nobody is reading anyway, the winner of the 'Transformers' contest was **Kharen**! Woooo kharen! Congrats and I hope you liked reading this chapter before everyone else! Stay tuned for more contests coming soon! Now on with the story, before I bore you so much, your brains end up spilling all over your keyboards.

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Another week had gone by and the students of Seaview were starting to get restless. Summer was just around the corner and they could hardly wait to taste the sweet freedom it would bring; hell, even the teachers were getting anxious for school to let out. They were so preoccupied with summer fever, they completely forgot about Jake and Miley's relationship, which was a relief for the couple. There was only two weeks left until they could escape from classrooms, tests, and homework, but for one lucky girl, only one week remained. 

Hannah's summer tour was kicking off a week before school ended, which meant that Miley had to take off before school was let out. This was her last week of school, which meant she had to take all of her finals earlier than everyone else, as well as pack, as well as say goodbye to her friends, as well as set up her tour bus…in other words, she was completely stressed out. But it wasn't all bad – she saw Jake every day and managed to hang out with Oliver and Lily a few times, even though she was cooped up in her room, studying her brains off, for a good portion of her afternoons.

Jake found Miley at her locker looking tense and as if she were going to be sick any second. He realized that today was her French exam – the one she'd studied the most for. Since he was skilled in French (from a publicity tour he did in Paris some time ago), he had helped her learn the language, coaching her through lessons and rewarding her with _very_ nice make out sessions; though he thought those were more for his benefit than hers.

Regardless, he could tell she was a nervous wreck, so he quietly approached her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, chuckling when he felt her jump in surprise. He felt her meld into him as he gently placed kisses on her neck, her eyes fluttering closed when he found the sensitive spot near her pulse. He whispered softly in her ear.

"You'll do fine, Miley. Remember what we practiced? _Vous etes beau_," he kissed her neck softly, "_Vous etes incroyable_," he kissed her again, "_Vous etes parfait_," he kissed her one last time, a feral grin on his face when he saw her bite her lip in an attempt to control herself.

He himself wanted to do nothing more than ravish his girlfriend until they couldn't breathe anymore, but he knew she'd protest with so many people around. He was surprised that she'd let him take this so far in public already (not that he was complaining or anything) and he didn't want to cross the line. He buried his nose in her wavy locks and inhaled the sweet scent of citrus.

'God, her hair smells wonderful. I wonder if it's just her or if it's her shampoo, because if it's the shampoo, I'll make sure to buy her a life-time supply of that stuff just so I can smell it all the time…'

Jake was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he nearly missed the deep sigh from Miley's mouth and the words that followed it.

"Somehow, I don't think that's going to be on the exam, but thank you for the mini-lesson," he could sense the cheeky smile on her face and couldn't help but grin himself.

"Well, what matters is that you understand what I'm saying. You're gonna do great," he turned her around and kissed her on her forehead, giving her a reassuring smile.

A wistful sigh startled the couple and they turned to see a fawning Lily and an annoyed Oliver watching them. Lily turned to Oliver and began gushing about how cute Jake and Miley were, while Oliver rolled his eyes at her, wishing for nothing more than a roll of duct tape in order to make her stop talking. Miley pursed her lips in an attempt to control her laughter while Jake's lip curled into a half-smile. Having heard enough from Lily, Oliver interrupted her by asking Miley about her exam.

"So, is this your last exam?" Lily huffed at Oliver's rudeness, but listened to Miley's answer anyway.

"Yup, just this last one and then I'm done for the year." Lily grinned, glad that she'd be able to hang out with Miley before she left the next day.

"Which one is this? French, right?" after a nod of conformation from Miley, she continued, "Oh, well, good luck!" Oliver scoffed.

"Yeah, you're going to need it! That test is supposed to be a killer. I heard that only three people passed last year – _three_!" Miley blanched, but Oliver took no notice. "Man, I'm sure glad I didn't take French; I don't think I'd be able to make it through the oral exam…" Miley paled even further.

"Oral exam?" she squeaked, her voice betraying her, "Three people?" she whipped around to face Jake, panic visible in her blue eyes. "_Three people?!_" Jake glared at Oliver over her head.

"Nice going, genius," he turned back to Miley and gently gripped her shoulders. "Miley, you're going to do fine. I know you're going to ace this exam – you're very good in French," he made sure to look into her eyes, letting her know that he was being serious with her. "Don't worry about the oral exam; just pretend you're talking to me. Just like we practiced, ok? You're going to do great."

He kissed her softly for reassurance and nudged her in the direction of the classroom. She swallowed deeply and went inside, but not before looking back and giving a small wave. As soon as she stepped through the door, Lily turned to Oliver and slapped the back of his head.

"You dunderhead! Way to completely freak her out!" Oliver scowled at her and rubbed his head.

"_Sorry_, I didn't mean to – and would you stop hitting me!"

Jake rolled his eyes at the two of them as they, once again, bickered like a married couple. He waited for them to finish, but it didn't seem like they were going to stop any time soon. They didn't notice when he shook his head and left them in the middle of the hallway.

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At the end of the day, Jake was gathering his books from his locker, happy that it was Friday and that he only had two homework assignments for the weekend. He spared a glance at the calendar in his locker and did a double take. There, circled in red, was the date Miley was leaving, and he cursed as he realized that date was tomorrow. Sure, he knew when she was going on tour, but he didn't think time had flown by _that_ fast. It dawned on him that he was going to spend his whole summer without her and he couldn't help but feel a small pang in his heart at the realization. It was getting harder to be without her for a few hours – how was he supposed to survive three months away from her?

Sighing, he shut his locker and made his way to his limo, ignoring hellos and waves along the way. He didn't bother waiting for his driver to open the door for him; instead, he yanked the door open himself and plopped into the leather seat. He sunk into his chair and rested his head against the soft leather headrest, trying to imagine life without Miley. What if…what if she found someone else along the way? Moved on? Got over him?

A soft vibration in his pocket snapped him out of his haze and he dug inside to retrieve his phone. His eyes lit up when he saw it was Miley calling.

"Hey, how'd the exam go?" He heard her sigh on the other end.

"It was ok. I messed up a few times, but I think I did fine…kind of…maybe…oh god, what if I failed?!" Jake chuckled and shook his head sadly.

"You're just saying that. I know you did fine, don't play it off like you didn't," he shifted the phone from one ear to the other, "So, how does it feel to be free from school?" She let out a relaxed sigh.

"Heaven. Total and complete heaven. The three of us were planning on heading over to Rico's one last time before I leave – you want to come? It'll probably be the last time I'll get to see you." Her voice quieted at the last sentence, the sadness echoing through his ears.

Jake realized that he didn't have anything for Miley to remember him by. He wanted to give her something before she went away; something to let her know just how much he cared and thought about her. There was no way he could see her one last time without giving her a gift, so he made up an excuse.

"Uh, I can't. I, err, have to baby sit Carley today…my mom can't pick her up, so I have to watch her until one of my parents get home. And if I take her to the beach, I know she'll wander off somewhere and there's no way I can get in trouble with my parents right before summer starts…" He heard the disappointed sigh on the other end of the phone and his heart lurched. "I'm sorry, Miley. I promise I'll come over tonight, though. I want to see you before you leave."

"It's ok, Jake, I understand. I'll see you later, then?" Jake nodded, but realized she couldn't see him nodding.

"Yeah, of course. Bye."

He gently closed his phone and tried to shake off the disturbing feeling in his chest. It hurt to have to lie to Miley, even if it was for a surprise. Jake didn't want to lie to her anymore, since he knew it would hurt both him and her in the end, so he promised himself that he would do all he could to never lie to her again. He took a deep breath to calm himself and leaned toward the driver's seat.

"Andy, can we go downtown? There are a few things I need to do." His driver curtly nodded.

"Of course, Sir, but if I may ask, what is it that you are planning on doing?" Jake leaned back in his seat and stared out the window.

"Just a little shopping, that's all."

The driver didn't comment and did as he was told, shifting the gear into D and driving out of the parking lot.

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After spending the day with Lily and Oliver, a tired Miley was finishing packing her closet, checking to make sure she had her essentials and toiletries organized. She wasn't going to see Lily until after school was over, but it'd only be for two weeks, since Hannah was leaving California after that. She wouldn't see Oliver until school started again, and she knew she was going to miss the poor donut. It was going to be hard being without Lily and Oliver, but it was going to be harder without Jake.

Although it'd only been a month since they had started dating, Miley felt closer to him than anyone she'd ever met – including Lily. There were just some things she couldn't talk to her about – like her mom – that she felt natural talking to Jake about. How she was supposed to go without seeing him for three months, she had no clue. What if he moved on? Left her behind? Felt she wasn't worth the wait?

"Stop it, Miley. Stop it right now," she folded a shirt and gently placed it in a suitcase, "We've been through this before; Jake likes me – _only me_. Don't doubt your relationship – it's genuine." A grunt startled her and she looked at her door, only to see Jackson leaning against the frame, a smirk on his face.

"You know, I'm sure Jake would love to know that his girlfriend is a complete crackpot," he chuckled at his joke, but then sobered up. "Seriously, no one here wants to hear about your relationship issues, so why don't you quit talking to yourself and give the rest of us some peace and quiet."

A well aimed pillow struck him square in the face, causing him to stumble backwards in surprise. Just as he was about to retort, another pillow slammed into his face, knocking him onto his back. He looked up just in time to see Miley at her door, towering over him, a sugar-sweet smile on her face.

"Hey Jackson, I think you need to work on those reflexes of yours – you seem a bit slow. That way next time, you won't look like a complete idiot after getting whipped by a girl. Night!"

Pulling himself up on his elbows, Jackson was about to protest, but was met with a loud slam as Miley's door shut in his face. With a smug grin on her face, she wiped her hands and went back to packing.

When she was done, it was around nine and Jake still hadn't come. Sighing, she closed her closet doors, looked around her near-empty room, and exited her bedroom. As she walked down her stairs, she began humming a soft tune, smiling lightly. It wasn't any particular tune, just something that came to her mind and flowed through her lips. At the bottom of the stairs, she saw her father and brother unhooking the entertainment system, trying to find the right cable that was connected to their video game. Of course, they couldn't leave without it – Jackson would have a fit if he had to live without video games for a week, let alone three months.

Rolling her eyes at the two, Miley quietly opened the door to the deck and slipped through, trying hard not to disturb her family. She was in the mood for some private time and didn't want any loud brothers or prying fathers to disturb her.

Sitting on a lounger, she gazed up at the night sky, wondering what her future held in store for her. The stars twinkled back at her and the breeze caressed at her face gently, and she knew her mother was speaking to her, telling her how proud she was of her, how happy she was for her, how much she loved her. Miley closed her eyes and smiled, feeling the warmth of her mother's spirit engulf her heart and give her the confidence she'd need to get up on all those stages and sing.

"May I join you?" Startled, Miley looked up to see Jake looking down at her, a small smile on his face.

"Of course," she sat up, letting her legs hang over the edge as she moved over sideways. "I thought you weren't going to show…" Jake chuckled and sat next to her.

"Sorry, I took longer than expected. Then dinner and 'family time'…I'm sorry." Miley snaked her hand into his and smiled at him.

"Don't be – it's not your fault. All that matters is that you're here now."

He smiled at her, gently rubbing the top of her hand with his thumb. She kissed him softly, letting him know how happy she was to be with him. He kissed back just as gently and slid his free hand into her hair, before moving lower and softly cupping the back of her neck. Jake soon pulled away and took her other hand in his, staring deep into her ocean-coloured eyes.

"Miley, there's something I want to give you – to remember me," he let go of one of her hands and dug into his pocket. "It's not much, but I saw it today and automatically thought of you; I was hoping you'd think of me when you see it."

He pulled out a small, wooden box, and gently placed it in her hands. She delicately ran her fingers over the intricate designs, memorizing every tiny detail, before opening the box. Letting out a small gasp, she gazed lovingly at the gift, completely speechless. Inside was a silver pendant in the form of a cloud with a golden lightning bolt protruding from it. It glittered and sparkled in the moonlight, letting off a tiny glow when the light hit it right. The pendant was attached to a thin chain, which, upon further notice, she realized was a tight-knit braid of silver.

Miley looked back at Jake, her eyes shining with delight and happiness, making his heart swell and his breath hitch. He loved it when her large, blue eyes radiated joy. Everything was always worth it when she looked at him like that. Stunned, she whispered softly to him.

"Jake, I…I don't know what to say…it's beautiful. You didn't have to give me this – I would have remembered you either way." Jake wrapped his hands around hers, squeezing them gently.

"Please, I want you to wear it. You're my thunder, Miley, and by wearing this pendant, I'll know that you'll stay true to me, just as I will stay true to you," she looked at him with admiration, but he continued without missing a beat. "Miley, will you wear this and show the world that you are my one and only?"

With glazed eyes, she nodded fervently and pulled her hair across her shoulder, exposing her neck to him. Jake moved behind her, took the pendant out of the box, and wrapped it around her neck, kissing her exposed flesh softly before pulling her hair back. He smiled at her and reclined in the lounger, motioning for her to sit between his legs. Smirking lightly, she nestled herself between his legs and gently laid against his chest, her head resting in the dip of his collarbone. He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew slow circles around her stomach.

She looked down, smiling brightly at the sparkling pendant, and delicately fingered it, liking the way the small weight felt on her chest. Jake noticed where she was looking and softly whispered in her ear.

"It looks beautiful on you. There's no one I'd rather have wear it than you."

Miley's face broke out into a large grin and her eyes fluttered closed as he continued to whisper sweet-nothings in her ear. Her hands rested on his, loving the feel of his strong hands and slender fingers. Her head turned in toward his neck, effectively nestling it beneath his chin. Her breathing slowed, soon falling into the comfortable rhythm of sleep. Her thoughts drifted away, turning into dreams of a wonderful boy with a soothing voice, strong hands, silky blonde hair, and beautiful sea-green eyes.

Jake looked down at the girl in his arms, still whispering softly in her ear even after she had succumbed to sleep. She was beautiful in the moonlight, and he hadn't been lying when he said the pendant looked gorgeous on her. It let off a soft glow around her chest, almost as if it had found its rightful home on her neck. He smiled as she snuggled deeper into his chest, and kissed her softly on her temple.

A small noise caused him to look to his left. Mr. Stewart was standing there, watching them with the sad eyes of a man letting his baby go. A bit of panic shot through Jake when he saw Mr. Stewart, but it dissipated when he received a small smile and a welcoming nod.

'Good, so he doesn't think we were doing anything bad.'

Mr. Stewart approached the lounger and looked down at his baby girl. He'd forgotten how peaceful she looked when she slept; he'd only recently seen her during nightmares and wished he'd spent more time watching her. Clearing his thoughts, he glanced over at Jake, who had been watching him curiously. Nodding at Miley, Mr. Stewart silently told Jake he was going to take her upstairs, to which Jake replied with a nod. Gently scooping her up so as not to wake her, Mr. Stewart cradled her into his neck, bid Jake goodnight, and carried her inside.

Jake watched them leave and turned to go home when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Jackson there with a small smile on his face.

"I know you didn't get much time with her, so I'll give you a break. We're leaving from the Lewiston Studio tomorrow at five, if you want to say goodbye." Jake smiled at him.

"I will. Thanks, Jackson."

Jackson watched as Jake left, thinking about how lucky his sister was to be with such a great guy. He'd seen the whole scene between them from the window and knew that he could trust Jake with his sister's heart.

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At four forty-five the next morning, the Hannah Montana crew was busy loading things onto the tour bus. Miley was patiently waiting for them to finish, not bothering with her wig since it was so early in the morning, when she heard her name shouted. She turned to see Jake running down the sidewalk, leaping over the boxes and equipment still waiting to be loaded. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, ecstatic that he'd come to see her off.

When he finally reached her, he engulfed her in a massive hug and spun her around in the air, causing her to shriek playfully. The crew looked on, grins on their faces at seeing the teenage girl so happy. Setting her down, he slipped his hand into hers and pulled her off to the side in order to get some privacy. Once alone, Jake cupped her cheek and kissed her deeply, trying to say goodbye without actually having to say the words. Miley kissed him just as powerfully, also trying to tell him so many things through her actions.

They broke apart and stared at each other, afraid of ruining the moment and returning to reality. They didn't want to leave each other and face the heartache that was sure to come. He stroked her cheek softly.

"I'm going to miss you." Miley gazed at him – her eyes filled with sadness.

"I'm going to miss you too."

He kissed her again softly and hugged her tightly against him, wrapping his arms around her small body. He stroked her smooth tresses, savoring the feel and smell of her chocolate curls. She clutched his back desperately, never wanting to let go. She inhaled his special smell – cedar, old spice, and a hint of something uniquely Jake.

A yell broke them out of their bubble, sending them crashing back into reality. Jackson was calling for her, telling her that everyone was waiting on her. Miley pulled back from Jake, disappointment in her eyes, and told her brother that she was on her way. Jake intertwined his hand with hers and together, they made their way toward the bus.

Once they reached the bus' entrance, Jake pulled Miley into one last breathtaking kiss. A chorus of hoots and hollers could be heard from the inside of the bus, causing Miley to break out into a deep blush. He stroked her cheek softly.

"You're my thunder, Miley." She gazed at him softly.

"As you are mine. Goodbye, Jake."

With one last smile, she boarded the bus, waving at him as the doors closed. The engine started and a low rumble echoed throughout the empty street. The bus shifted into gear and Jake watched as his girl took off down the street. He watched until he could no longer see the large bus and slowly walked toward his limo parked at the end of the block, never feeling so alone in his entire life.

* * *

A/N: And because I'm such a jerk, I'm going to tag on another author's note! Someone should shoot me. Seriously. Ahem. So, I felt like we've had enough drama from the last few chapters to last us for a while, so I decided to make this a fluffy chapter ::YAY FLUFFY!:: 

Anyway, just thought I should explain what all the French meant, since I'm sure a good chunk of us don't understand a word of French.

_Vous etes beau - _You are beautiful  
_Vous etes incroyable_ - You are incredible  
_Vous etes parfait_ - You are perfect


	12. Happy Birthday to You

A/N: Holy freakin crap. It has been so long since I've last updated this story and for that I am so terribly sorry! I understand if you want to ram me in the heart with a pitchfork (winces), but please know that I have been ridiculously busy with all sorts of junk, including my movie (WHICH IS DONE AND AWESOME...kinda...) as well as College Applications (omg I sent my first one out last Tuesday and now I'm biting my nails in anticipation of my acceptance/rejection letter. SO FREAKIN NERVOUS!). And, I'm not gonna lie, this chapter was ridiculously hard to write because I had no idea where to go from where I last left off - therefore please don't yell at me if this chapter sucks. I understand this chapter sucks because I wrote the damn chapter. Anyways, I really want to just skip to the juicy juicy part, but if I do, then you won't have any idea how the hell I got there, which would mean confused people, which would mean people yelling at me for being stupid. Therefore, I shall try to keep up with the story as best as I can (I have more time now, so I can hopefully update sooner?).

Ok, so I'm done ranting now (cause I'm a jerkface...) and shall now provide you with...another quiz! Woot! Same rules apply as last time, as does the prize (Updated chapter before anyone else).

**What movie did I get part of the dream sequence from? (Both movie and part of dream sequence required)**

Alrighty, so have fun with that, and I'll give you all a hint because I'm nice and don't want tomatoes thrown at me.

HINT: It's from a disney movie.

(I really have a tendency to write super-long Author's Notes, don't I?)

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_The moonlight shined down softly on the two teens, their hands intertwined as they walked down the beach. There was a peaceful silence between them that only the lightly crashing waves disturbed. The boy looked over at the girl and silently watched her, noticing that she wore her glowing pendant. She looked so beautiful right then and there and he knew he had to say something. He'd been keeping it inside for a while and felt the need to let it out; to let her know how exactly how he felt about her. He stopped walking and tugged on her hand, letting her know he wanted to say something. The girl turned to look at him, her eyebrow cocked in confusion. The boy took her other hand and pulled him to her, gently planting a kiss on her lips. She smiled at him and his confidence surged through him._

"_Miley, I…" he drifted off, trying to get his lips to say the words. "I…I…" The girl waited, confused._

"_Yes?" He tried again, desperately trying to get his throat to open._

"_I…um…" She was waiting on bated breath, hoping he was trying to say what she wished he felt._

"_Yes__?"_

_He knew she was waiting for him to say something, something that could potentially change their relationship forever. He knew he had to say it, and he had to say it now._

"_I…I lo-"_

_Suddenly, the earth started shaking, causing the lovers to tumble to the ground._

'_It must be an earthquake! God, talk about perfect timing…'_

_The boy reached out for the girl's hand, trying to bring her close to him. The earth's shaking became more powerful, causing their hands to slip farther away from each other. He screamed for her, desperate to keep her safe. She called to him, afraid of nature's wrath. They were bouncing around by now, which seemed a bit strange. Wait a minute, sand wasn't supposed to be bouncy, was it?_

_The girl reached for him, yelling his name._

"_Jake!"_

_Hold on, why did her voice sound like his sister's…?_

Jake's eyes slowly opened and he noticed that he was still bouncing around. Confused, he looked up and saw Carley jumping on his bed and yelling his name.

"Jake," she whined pathetically, "Wake up! It's your birthday! As fun as this is, I don't feel like spending the whole day in your room!"

Jake groaned and shoved his face into the pillow, angry that his dream was just that – a dream. He was ready to tell Miley that he lo – hold on a second. Love? He loves Miley?

'There's no way I love her…it's way to early for that! Besides, Jake Ryan doesn't fall in love – others fall in love with him! It's just a dream – it doesn't mean anything…right?'

Jake was shaken out of his thoughts (literally) when Carley fell onto her knees and started shaking his shoulders. Groaning again, he turned over to face her. His voice still hoarse from sleep, he grunted at her.

"What do you want, midget?" Huffing, Carley crossed her arms and looked away.

"Well, I was trying to wish you a happy birthday, but I guess you won't have one now. In fact, I wish you an awful birthday!"

Jake chuckled at his sister and quickly reached up and pulled a surprised Carley down, wrapping her in a giant hug. She squirmed and laughed as he showered kisses on her face and squealed loudly when he blew a raspberry on her neck. She punched his arm, causing him to let go, and jumped out of his grasp, still giggling. A goofy, lopsided smile was on his face, showing how happy he was that Carley remembered his birthday.

"Thanks for the birthday wish, Squirt, though I do wish you tried waking me up differently." She grinned at him, but quickly put on a mask of nonchalance.

"No problem. Hey, you think I can borrow five dollars?" Still in a good mood, Jake shrugged.

"Sure, why not. It's on the dresser." He watched as Carley made her way over to the dresser and pick up the money. "Why do you need it anyway?" Carley came back over and deposited the money in his hand.

"Happy birthday, Jake! Here's five dollars!"

She laughed at the look of shock on his face and bolted out the door when she saw him scrambling out of bed. When she reached the bottom step, Jake grabbed her and began tickling her until she couldn't breathe. After a while, the two broke down into laughter and made their way into the kitchen, where Mrs. Ryan was making breakfast. She noticed them and quickly enveloped Jake into a hug.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart! I can't believe you're sixteen! My little boy is all grown up!" Jake rolled his eyes as she continued gushing and prayed for some kind of saving grace.

"Dear, let the poor boy go – you're embarrassing him." Mr. Ryan entered the room and dropped the morning paper on the table. "He's sixteen, not twelve."

Mrs. Ryan reluctantly let go of a grateful Jake and let him sit down. Mr. Ryan gave him a heavy pat on the back, causing him to slightly lurch forward.

"Happy birthday, Son. You're finally a man now." Jake smiled at his father as his mother placed a hearty meal in front of him, still gushing about her baby boy.

"Here's a nice birthday breakfast made just for you, Mr. Man."

The entire table groaned at Mrs. Ryan's embarrassing pet name and nearly slammed their heads into the table in anguish. Mrs. Ryan huffed at her family and went back into the kitchen to put away the left-over ingredients. Mr. Ryan opened his newspaper and began to read the day's headlines. Jake merely picked at his food, more interested in analyzing his dream. Carley noticed him zoning out and couldn't help making a jab at her brother.

"Why aren't you eating? Finally realized you're too fat?" Jake glanced up at his sister and sneered.

"What happened to being nice?" He cocked an eyebrow at Carley's bewildered face.

"You actually thought I was going to do that for the whole day?" she scoffed, "You must be stupider than I thought."

Jake rolled his eyes as Carley took her clean plate to the sink and waltzed upstairs. He too took his near-full plate to the counter and instead walked into the garden. He sat down on a nearby bench and watched the birds and bees flying from flower to flower, his toes playing with the soft grass by his feet. For some reason, his dream wouldn't stop invading his mind and it was irking him to no end. He didn't understand how he could be developing those kinds of feelings for Miley when they had only been dating for three months. That wasn't normal, was it?

The benched creaked as another body sat next to him, knocking him out of his thoughts. He looked over to see Mr. Ryan staring calmly back at him.

"Something on your mind, Jake? Usually you scarf down your breakfast in a matter of minutes – you barely touched your food this time. Want to talk about it?" Jake looked down at his toes, not sure if he was ready for this conversation with his dad.

"Dad…how did you…how did you know when mom was…you know…_the one_?" He glanced up to see Mr. Ryan's surprised face.

"What? Jake, you're sixteen – surely you don't think Miley's 'the one' for you yet?" Jake looked down at his feet again, embarrassed.

"Well, maybe that's not what I meant. What I meant to say was, how did you know you were in l-…lo-…" Mr. Ryan's face softened as he watched his son struggle to express his feelings properly.

"Love? How did I know when I was in love with your mom?" He smiled as he saw Jake's cheeks turn pink and his head nod in confirmation. "Well, I always wanted to be with her – every minute of every day I wanted to hold her. My heart would race whenever I was near her. I could talk to her about anything and not be ashamed. Everyone's beauty paled in comparison to hers, both inside and out. And most of all, I knew I loved her when I knew I could tell her so. Stuttering means there is still some doubt in the back of your mind. When you love someone, you'll know right away." Jake looked up at his father in awe before allowing a small smile to grace his lips.

"Thanks Dad."

He silently stood up and walked back inside, not noticing the knowing smile on his father's face.

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The day passed by quickly and before long it was time for the traditional Ryan family birthday dinner. The Ryan's didn't bother having extravagant celebrity parties for Jake's birthday after he became famous because they didn't want so much publicity during what was to them a special family time. They also didn't want Jake to start hanging out with many of the older celebrities who were used to drugs and alcohol during celebrity parties.

Usually, it was just the four Ryans who took part in their family celebration, but this year Jake wanted to include Lily and Oliver since they were his close friends. Miley would have been invited too, if only she weren't away on her Hannah Montana tour.

Jake slumped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling, his heart clenching at the thought of Miley. During his talk with his father, he realized that he was starting to fall for her much harder than he anticipated. Although he wasn't completely there yet, the thought of him becoming so attached to one person was, quite frankly, incredibly frightening. Jake wasn't used to becoming attached to people, since he was usually moving all over the place to film movies or fending off 'friends' who only wanted to use him to become famous.

To start having such strong feelings for one person was something completely new to him, and thus very scary. To make matters worse, he didn't know whether Miley felt the same way he did, and he sure as hell didn't want to look like a fool if he spilt his heart out to her and she didn't reciprocate his feelings. Everything was so complicated now that his heart started going all mushy on him.

But then he remembered the way she looked at him, the way she smiled at him, the way she kissed him, and his feelings for her didn't seem so bad anymore. He hadn't seen her in two months and he was starting to really feel the heartache that came with loneliness. Sure, he still hung out with his friends and had a good time, but things weren't quite the same without Miley there. He wished he could see her again; hold her again; kiss her again. He wished he could talk to her for more than the five minutes she could spare between concerts and autographs. He wished she could celebrate his birthday with him in Malibu, instead of pleasing thousands of fans at her concert in Philly.

But he knew it wouldn't happen. There was no way she could come back for one night and spend it with him – she was happy when singing at her concerts and he refused to take that away from her. He knew she would never steal him from his acting career; why should he steal her from her own?

The shrill of the doorbell signaled Lily and Oliver's arrival, causing him to drag himself off the bed and down the stairs. Lily snagged him in a hug, crushing his lungs until he could barely breathe, and handed him a brightly wrapped package when she let him go. Almost as if she had read his mind about Miley, she gave him a soft, sympathetic smile, telling him that she wished Miley was with them as well. Oliver was next with a low five and a small package wrapped in plain brown paper. When Lily saw the gift, she gave Oliver a disapproving look, to which Oliver held his hands up in surrender.

"Hey, it's a guy thing, Lily. Us men don't give presents like _that_," he looked pointedly at the obscenely shocking-colored present in Jake's other hand.

Lily narrowed her eyes but didn't say a word, instead walking into the kitchen to offer Mrs. Ryan help. Jake laughed and ushered Oliver to the dinner table where most of the food was already laid out. He quickly dropped his two new packages onto the couch, where the rest of his gifts sat quietly. As he re-entered the dining area, he sat down in his usual seat, next to where Oliver would be sitting; where Miley sat during that dinner long ago. Memories of that night flooded back, causing a sharp pain of misery to briefly enter his mind as he thought about kissing Miley in the garden. It quickly dissipated when Lily sat down across from him and asked him about his birthday so far.

After a few minutes of talking, Jake was curious about where Oliver went. When he asked, Lily told him that he was in the bathroom upstairs getting ready for dinner. Just as Jake was about to ask what was taking him so long, a loud scream echoed down the stairs, followed by a painful moan. Carley immediately came running down the stairs and hid behind her father, scared beyond belief and rambling incoherently.

"Daddy! Strange boy…upstairs…bathroom! Help me!"

Jake and Lily looked at each other with wide eyes, knowing that the boy Carley was talking about was Oliver. Seconds later, a bleeding Oliver stumbled down the stairs, slightly disoriented from his encounter with Carley. Shocked, Lily asked him what exactly happened in the bathroom.

"I was just washing my hands when Jake's sister came in and freaked out. I tried telling her who I was, but she hit me in the nose with a shampoo bottle before I could explain!" Oliver's voice was steadily becoming more nasally as his nose quickly swelled. "Can I get a bit of help here, please?"

At this point, Lily couldn't hold back her laughter and let loose a series of unladylike snorts, resulting in a doubled over Jake and a giggling Mrs. Ryan. Jake, trying to subdue his laughter, turned to Carley.

"Carley, this is my friend Oliver. You didn't have to hit him in the face," Jake's laughter returned full force, "with a shampoo bottle!"

Lily and Jake once again began laughing at Oliver's expense. Oliver crossed his arms and pouted like a six-year-old child who didn't get what they wanted for Christmas, waiting for his two friends to finally stop laughing. Mrs. Ryan led him to the kitchen to get cleaned up while Mr. Ryan calmed everyone down and began carving the roast.

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After the wonderful meal full of jokes and stories, the small group of party-goers crowded around Jake's seat to watch him blow out his birthday candles. They told him to wish wisely, for his wish could come true, and he wished as hard as he could that Miley would be standing next to him when he opened his eyes. Although he knew it wasn't possible, he couldn't help but feel disappointed when he opened his eyes and saw no one with long, dark hair in sight. Sighing, he quickly put on a smile and began to cut the cake, making sure to serve everyone a large piece.

When cake was finished, they crowded into the living room to watch Jake open his presents. He got a nice wig to use as a disguise from Lily, as well as a set of premium baseball cards from Oliver. Lily once again glared at Oliver, wondering why the boy gave such a useless gift. He argued that the cards were a collection item that could eventually be worth millions. Jake rolled his eyes as the two got into another one of their famous spats and nearly jumped off the couch when his phone vibrated in his pocket. Looking at his caller ID, a huge smile broke out onto his face and he quickly flipped open the phone.

"Hello?" A lovely, soft, feminine voice spoke into the other line.

"Hey Jake, it's Hannah," Jake knew he had to stay in character when Miley was Hannah Montana for fear of people overhearing their conversation.

"Hannah! It's so nice to hear from you! What's up?" Miley's voice turned into a whisper as he heard stage hands calling for her to make her way on stage.

"I need you to turn on HBO and find my concert. Do it now! I have a surprise for you and I don't want you to miss it! Got to go, see you!"

She quickly hung up, leaving Jake dumbfounded for a few seconds. He then quickly scrambled over the coffee table, much to the shock of his parents, and turned on the TV, switching it to Hannah Montana's concert. He watched as Hannah made her way on stage and motioned for the screaming audience to quiet down. Confused as to why they were watching this, Mrs. Ryan began reciting her thoughts to her son, who quickly shushed her. Offended, she was about to retort, when she heard Hannah begin speaking.

"Hey everyone!" The crowd roared, then quickly simmered down as Hannah motioned again for them to be quiet. "Today is a very special day, 'cause today is my very good friend, Jake Ryan's sixteenth birthday." The crowd went crazy when they heard the famous Zombie Slayer's name slip through her lips. This time they quieted on their own, eagerly waiting to hear Hannah speak. "Because it is such a special birthday, I was wondering if you all could accompany me in singing him Happy Birthday."

The fans went wild. Their deafening screams could be heard three blocks down from the venue. Girls were crying in happiness. Boys were jumping up and down. Jake and the members of his party had their jaws on the floor, not knowing how to process this shocking announcement. Jake quickly snapped out of his daze when he saw Hannah turn toward the nearest camera.

"Jake Ryan, this is for you. Happy sixteenth,"

With that, she hushed the crowd and held up three fingers, signaling that she was going to start singing when she reached the count of one. Slowly she brought her fingers down one by one until she reached the last one. The entire concert hall began to sing to Jake, bringing small pricks of tears to his eyes. Never before had anything like this ever happened to him. The closest he got was a standing ovation at the Oscars for his very convincing supporting role in 'Blue River', but nothing could be compared to having thousands upon thousands of fans wishing him happy birthday. And for the whole thing to be orchestrated by his girlfriend, _on the fly_, was absolutely spectacular.

Jake stared at the screen, transfixed by his beautiful Miley. He couldn't believe that she went through all that trouble, just to give him a birthday to remember, when a call from her would have been more than enough. He watched as she finished singing, completely out of breath and sweating from the hot stage lights. She told her audience to wave to the cameras and say 'happy birthday', following her own directions and waving at him through the television screen. The camera soon cut to various shots of fans frantically waving at him, screaming out phrases like, "Happy birthday!" and "We love you, Jake!" Jake had never felt so loved as he did in that moment, and the feeling increased when his friends and family enveloped him in a large group hug, whispering similar words in his ears.

He looked back at the screen one last time to see Miley waving at him, before shutting off the TV. It was at that moment that he knew he was falling hopelessly in love with Miley Stewart.

His birthday had never been better.


	13. Forget Me Not

A/N: Hey all. Guess who's back? I promised you all I'd be back in 2008 and here I am. Since my other story (**Finding My Way**) majorly bombed, I thought it'd be nice to update **Thunder**. Sorry it's been so long - it's been a rough few weeks, as most of you have already heard. To make up for the long wait, I wrote you all an extra long chapter - 10 pages to be exact. Crazy, I know. But don't worry - it's packed with a LOT of stuff!

Sadly, no one won the the '**Dream Sequence**' Contest, but that's ok. The correct answer was the movie Anastasia, which I realize isn't a Disney movie (sorry about that...). Look for another contest soon! Have fun reading :)

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It was an early, crisp August morning in Malibu. The sun had just risen, bathing the sky in bursts of pink and orange. An anxious Lily and a tired Oliver sat on the rickety bench outside of the Lewiston Recording Studio, awaiting the arrival of their best friend. Lily's leg bounced erratically, an unknown nervous habit of hers, and she continually checked her watch every six and a half seconds. Oliver yawned before looking over at Lily and raising an eyebrow at her. 

"Jesus, Lily, can you chill? She'll be here!" Lily's head snapped in Oliver's direction so quickly that he wondered if she'd gotten whiplash.

"Oliver, how the hell would you feel if you hadn't seen your best friend for the whole summer?" Oliver looked at Lily as if she had the IQ of a four-year-old.

"…I _haven't_ seen my best friend for the whole summer…"

Lily opened her mouth a few times to retort, but shut it quickly when she realized how much stupider she'd look if she tried to deny her mistake. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest, huffed, and sank farther into her seat. Oliver rolled his eyes and leaned back against the bench, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. He checked the time and his eyes widened when he saw the numbers staring back at him. He glanced around the empty streets, looking for any sign of the third member of their waiting party, and sighed when he saw no one approaching them. Oliver quickly sent a text message out, asking where the other member was, and patiently watched his screen for a reply.

After ten minutes of waiting, Oliver sighed in defeat and put his phone back in his pocket. He glanced back over at Lily, only to find her looking at him hopefully. He sadly shook his head and looked past her down the empty street. Lily frowned a bit before continuing her nervous routine.

A few minutes later, the low rumble of a bus echoed in the distance, causing Oliver's eyes to focus and Lily's head to snap up. Both stood up with large smiles on their faces when they saw the large tour bus turn the corner and head toward them. The vehicle came to a stop in front of them and before the engine turned off, the black door burst open. Miley hopped off the stairs and wrapped Lily and Oliver into a giant hug, squeezing them tightly.

"God, I've missed you guys so much!"

A muffled 'We missed you too' made her realize that they probably couldn't breathe properly under her suffocating embrace. She let them go and looked each one over, noticing a few changes in both friends.

Lily had grown an inch or so and had started to gain her womanly figure. Many hours in the sun had given her a decent tan, but Miley could still see a light sunburn on the bridge of her nose. Her face had become more mature and defined, making her look more her age than before, but her bright, blue eyes still held that childish spark in their depths.

Oliver, on the other hand, had grown a few good inches and now towered above both her and Lily. He wasn't as lanky as he was in the past, but was still lean and seemed to have learned how to use the balance that nature gave him. His brown hair, lightened from so much time at the beach, was still as shaggy as ever, yet suited him better somehow. His brown eyes now showed maturity and wisdom, something Miley never thought she'd see with Oliver.

Squealing again in excitement at seeing her two best friends, she launched herself at Lily and hugged her again. Lily laughed and squeezed her back, happy to see her friend again. Miley soon let go and did the same to Oliver, who wrapped his long arms around her and picked her up off the ground in excitement. He soon put her down, allowing her to regain her breathing after being crushed against his chest in the air.

Miley smiled at the pair once more before looking around, trying to find the person she missed desperately. When she didn't see him, she looked back at her friends with questioning eyes. Oliver looked at the ground, unable to look at her, while Lily shook her head sadly. Miley's smile slipped off her face momentarily and her eyes flashed with hurt, shattered that he hadn't come to see her, before it was replaced with a fake, plastic smile.

"It's ok. He, he probably had other things he needed to do." At the worried look her friends gave her, she added, "Really, guys, it's ok. Now, why don't you help me unpack my stuff from the bus?"

Lily and Oliver shared a look before nodding in agreement. They went off to help the roadies grab Miley's boxes from the bus, glancing back when they noticed Miley wasn't following them. She was staring down the street, waiting for the golden-haired boy who had leaped over boxes to see her off three months ago. She waited, and waited, and waited, trying to fight off the pain of being forgotten. With a sigh, she turned around, smiled lightly at her friends, and went to help them unload the bus.

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Bright sunlight shone down on a sleeping Jake, causing his face to scrunch up in discomfort. It wasn't supposed to be so bright out at four thirty in the morning, was it? He slowly cracked open an eye and quickly closed it in pain. The sunlight was hitting him directly in the face, making waking up much harder for Jake. He slowly tried opening his eyes again, blinking rapidly in order to adjust to the light. He glanced over at his alarm clock to see the time; the numbers 10:17am stared back at him. Sighing with relief, he closed his eyes again and rested his head against the pillow, ready to go back to sleep.

'Wait a minute – 10:17?!'

Jake's eyes snapped open and he jumped out of bed, grabbing his alarm clock to double check the time. The same numbers glared back, causing him to swear loudly and run a hand through his hair. Miley was going to think he forgot about her, even though she was all he could think about for the past three months. How was he going to explain this to her?

A loud laugh by his door caught his attention and he turned to see Carley leaning against the door frame, covering her mouth in an attempt to contain her laughter. Sobering up when she saw that he'd noticed her presence, she smiled widely.

"Morning Sleeping Beauty. I was wondering when you were gonna wake up. I didn't think it would be this late – it's better than I'd planned for!" Jake narrowed his eyes at her.

"_You_ did this?_You_ reset my alarm?!" Carley brushed off his anger and put on a casual tone.

"Well, I _had_ to get you back for the toothbrush incident and I thought that making you miss your meeting would be the perfect revenge. Not my fault that you rely on an alarm clock to remind you of your appointments."

She nodded toward Jake's calendar, specifically toward today's date, which was circled in red with the words 'Lewiston Studios, 5:15am' in the center. Jake looked at what she was talking about and turned back to her with anger in his eyes and a tone that would send any grown man running.

"That wasn't an appointment, Carley. That was where I was supposed to meet Miley, since today is when she's coming home from her trip. I was supposed to be there for her when she got off the bus, and now she'll think that I've forgotten all about her, just because my _stupid_ little sister thought it'd be fun to get revenge for something that was a goddamn _accident_."

Carley paled with every word that came out of Jake's mouth. She didn't mean to mess up Jake's relationship with Miley – she actually liked Miley! She looked back up at Jake, wincing at the hard look in his eyes.

"Jake, I'm sorry! I didn't mean…I didn't _know_!"

Jake ignored her and, grabbing a towel and clothes to change into, brushed past her to take a shower. Carley followed him, pleading for him to understand that what she did was a mistake.

"Jake, _please_! I'm sorry! I, I didn't know, Jake, I didn't know! I swear! I'm_ sorry_!"

At the bathroom door, Jake turned around to face her, looking down at her angrily. He spoke to her coldly.

"Don't talk to me, Carley. I don't hang out with immature _brats_."

With that, he shut the door in her shocked and hurt face. Carley stared blankly at the door, trying to regain her composure. Tears had unknowingly formed in her eyes as her brother's words repeated themselves over and over in her ears. She'd never seen her brother so angry before – especially at her. Sure, they got into fights all the time, but they were always playful and didn't mean anything.

Despite what everyone thought, the eleven-year-old looked up to her older brother a lot. He was always cool and popular, even before he became a big movie star, and she always wanted to be around him, just to be cool too. Sure, he was a total idiot some times, but she loved him very much, and hearing those words slip out of his mouth cut deeply into her heart.

Blinking back her tears when she heard the shower start running, Carley stepped away from the bathroom door and quickly made her way into her room. She knew that she had to fix her brother's relationship, both with her and Miley, and racked her brain for a way to do so. Finally getting an idea, she quietly snuck back into Jake's room and opened the top drawer of his dresser. She felt around his shirts until she found what she was looking for – his cell phone. She had hidden it so that he wouldn't be woken up by any phone calls, thus ruining her plan of revenge. Guilt rose in her chest again when she noticed that Jake's friend Oliver had sent him a text message, asking why Jake wasn't waiting for Miley with them.

Hearing the shower turn off, she hastily closed the drawer and sprinted into her room, the phone clutched tightly in her hand. Shutting the door, she quickly scrolled through Jake's phonebook until she found Miley's home number. She didn't want Miley to ignore Jake's call, so she opted to call the house since there was more anonymity. Pressing the 'Send' button, she nervously waited for someone to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" Carley nearly jumped for joy when she realized it was Miley who had answered.

"Miley! It's Carley – please don't hang up!" She heard a small chuckle on the other side.

"Why would you think I'd hang up on you?" Carley let out a small sigh and lowered her voice.

"Because of my brother…" Silence greeted her and she knew that Miley was upset about Jake. "Miley?"

"Oh, sorry, must have zoned out for a second," Miley gave a fake laugh, "I understand about Jake. It was only a matter of time before he forgot about me anyway. Probably laughing it up with some pretty, blonde movie star while I was gone, right?" Miley's voice cracked near the end, causing Carley's guilt to triple.

"No, Miley, that's not the case at all! It's my fault that he didn't come this morning. He had set his alarm to meet you, but I thought it'd be funny to mess with him and make him miss his appointment, so I reset his clock. I didn't know he was supposed to be meeting you this morning, I swear! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wreck anything! Please don't blame Jake, or think he's forgotten you, _please_!" Silence once again greeted her, making Carley nervous. She finally heard a sigh on the other line.

"And this isn't some ploy by your brother to make me forgive him? How am I supposed to know that he didn't put you up to this, Carley?" Carley sank down on her bed in defeat, the springs creaking loudly throughout the room.

"Believe me, you can't fake the pain of having your brother not speak to you for messing up his relationship. I, I've never seen him so mad before, Miley. He's never given me the cold shoulder. It really hurts." The other side was quiet, causing Carley to sigh audibly. "If you don't want to talk to me either, I understand. I just thought you should know the truth before you blamed the wrong person." Just as she was about to hang up, Miley's voice came over the receiver.

"I'm not mad at you, Carley. You didn't know about today, and that's understandable. What you did was still bad – he could have missed a really important meeting, you know – but these kinds of things happen. And if I know your brother like I think I do, I know he'll come to forgive you very soon." Carley let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you so much, Miley. I'm really glad you're not mad at me," As she was talking to Miley, a plan formed in her head. "You know, speaking of Jake, he's been talking about you non-stop. In fact, he was telling us earlier about the special date he was planning for you tonight – a little 'Welcome home celebration', you know?"

"Really?" Carley smirked – Miley was hooked.

"Mhmm, _tonight_. He'll be sending a car to pick you up at seven thirty – is that ok?" Carley could practically see the large smile on Miley's face.

"Yeah, that sounds great! Tell Jake I'll see him tonight! Bye Carley!"

Carley hung up, ecstatic that her plan to fix Jake and Miley's relationship had worked. She turned around to put the phone back in Jake's room, only to see her brother standing at the door. Her eyes widened, wondering just how much he heard and what he was going to do to her. Looking down at her with hard eyes, he motioned to his outstretched palm, silently telling her to hand over his phone. Lowering her eyes to the ground, she slowly put the phone in his hand, squealing when he gripped her hand and drew her into a hug. Startled, she tensed in his arms, unsure as to what to do. Bending down, he whispered in her ear.

"Thank you." Shocked, Carley pulled out of the hug and looked up at Jake in both happiness and confusion.

"You talked to me!" Smirking lightly, he ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Well, after fixing things with Miley, how could I not?"

"You heard all that?" Jake nodded in the affirmative. "Jake, I'm really sorry again. I didn't mean to make you so mad." Jake's eyes softened.

"I'm sorry too, kid. I may have overreacted a bit with you, but you have to understand that you can't do that to people, ok?"

Carley nodded and dove into Jake's torso again, causing him to grunt in pain, and wrapped her arms around his middle. Jake smiled down at her and returned the hug. After a few minutes, Jake pulled away.

"So what's this about a date?"

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Pacing nervously in front of his mirror, he ran a hand through his already tousled hair, worrying about how he was going to tell Miley about his feelings toward her. He'd been setting up the date the whole day and had completely forgotten to figure out what he was going to say to her. Should he go for the direct approach? Or should he slip it in casually during their conversation? So many decisions…

When he finally noticed that his hand was viciously attacking his hair, he quickly brought it down by his side and faced the mirror. This night had to be absolutely perfect if he didn't want to look like a fool, and the only way to be perfect was to practice. Grinning at himself, he struck a James Bond pose and put on a British accent.

"I love you, Darlin'." Frowning at how stupid he sounded, he decided to try a different approach – Elvis.

"Hey, Pretty Mama. Do you know how much I love ya?" When he looked at his Elvis pose, he nearly burst out laughing at how downright ridiculous he looked. Maybe a 1940's gangster would work?

"I'm gonna tell you how much I love ya, see? Gonna tell you I love ya lots, see?" Sighing in defeat, he let his forehead fall onto the mirror and groaned. "God, I'm so bad at this…"

A muffled "Thank you, Captain Obvious!" could be heard from down the hall, alerting him that Carley could hear him through the wall. Growling, Jake yelled through the wall.

"_Shut. Up._"

Hearing his sister's giggles, he rolled his eyes at her, inwardly glad that their relationship was back to normal. Glancing at the clock, panic started to set in when he saw that he had five minutes left before Miley arrived. He mentally thanked the heavens that he convinced his parents to leave the house for the night, as long as Carley got to stay and that there was no funny business, of course. Carley, on the other hand, agreed to stay in her room upstairs – something she usually charged money for, but did for free in order to make up for the stunt she pulled that morning.

Checking over himself once again in the mirror, he nodded his approval before shutting off the lights and making his way downstairs.

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Miley sat in the car, anxiously tapping her fingers against the black leather seat. The driver had told her that the date's location was a surprise and that Jake would be meeting her there.

Jake.

God, how she had missed him. E-mails and phone calls were one thing, but seeing him in the flesh was completely different. Had he changed like Lily and Oliver had? Had he lost interest in her and wanted to break up with her tonight? Carley said he hadn't, but with Jake she couldn't tell. Lord, she hoped not.

Miley nervously played with the hem of her dress. Tonight was the night she was going to tell him exactly how she felt…if only she knew how that was. Her father always said that distance makes the heart grow fonder, and man did it apply in this situation, but she wondered just how fond her heart was of Jake. Did she just like Jake a whole lot more, or was it…love? She wasn't exactly sure. If that didn't make her nervous, it sure as hell did now. And what if he didn't share her strong feelings? What was she to do then?

Before she had time to answer her own questions, the car pulled up to a familiar looking door. Glancing up, she was surprised to see Jake's house. The car door was opened by the driver and, thanking him for his troubles, she walked up the house's front steps. Taped on the front door was a note written in neat scrawl, telling her to follow the arrows. Miley smiled at Jake's cute idea, letting out a chuckle when she saw that the first arrow was pointing down toward the doorknob.

Opening the door, she made her way through the house, guided by the mysterious arrows. She saw that the last arrow pointed toward a familiar pair of French doors. Once again grabbing the elegant handles, Miley felt a sense of déjà vu come over her, making her smile inside. Gently tugging open the door, she slipped into the beautiful garden.

She looked around in awe, marveling at all of the colorful flowers the garden had. It was almost as beautiful in the evening as it was at night. Sadly, it was still too early for the lights to be turned on, but she didn't mind. Glancing around, she finally spotted Jake in the vine-covered gazebo. Smiling, she took off down the grassy path, anxious to see the boy she missed so desperately.

When she reached the gazebo, she came to a sudden stop outside of its entrance. Jake had his back to her, staring off into the horizon where the sun had recently set. His hair had grown a bit longer since she'd last seen him, the ends now curling slightly behind his ears. Like Oliver, he grew a few inches and from what she could see, his face was more angular and defined, making him look even more attractive than before.

Jake felt a presence behind him and lost his breath when he turned around. She was a vision in white and he noticed that she had started filling out quiet nicely over the summer. Her light summer dress showed off her toned legs and newly acquired curves, and contrasted nicely with her rich, chocolate hair. Miley had grown up during the summer, and Jake wasn't complaining one bit.

Miley took a tentative step toward him, unsure whether her mind was playing tricks on her or whether all this was real. When he didn't disappear, she took another, and another. She stopped and smiled at him when she saw the look of sheer desire on his face, slowly biting her lower lip.

That did it for Jake. In two strides, he reached for her and kissed her breathless. It had been so long – too long – since he'd tasted her and he nearly died when he breathed in the citrus scent of her shampoo. He tried telling her everything through the kiss; how much he missed her, wanted her, needed her, cared for her, and possibly loved her. It finally became too much for both to take and they broke apart for oxygen. They panted heavily, never breaking eye contact until Jake noticed something glinting in the dimming light. Looking down, he saw the pendant he had given her all those months ago resting against her heaving chest. His eyes snapped up to meet hers.

"You still wear it?" Immediately knowing what he was referring to, she smiled.

"I've never taken it off, even in the shower. It means you're always with me."

For Jake, that had to have been the sexiest thing he'd ever heard anyone say. He lunged at her again, attacking her mouth furiously with his. She responded just as violently, trying, but failing, to get enough of him.

Suddenly, the entire garden lit up, causing the couple to break apart in wonder. Miley looked around the gazebo in awe, taking in the twinkling lights that threaded through the numerous vines. She felt like Cinderella, living in a complete fairytale. Jake, on the other hand, looked toward the house, smiling when he saw Carley waving at him from the window. She gave him a knowing wink and disappeared into her room.

Carley's surprise reminded Jake of his task for tonight, which had been pushed to the back of his mind during his kisses with Miley. Reaching behind him, he picked up the small, delicate flowers resting on the gazebo's railing. Miley was now watching him curiously, wondering what he was up to. When he presented her with the flowers, her heart swelled.

"Forget Me Nots?" she whispered in awe. He smiled softly at her and tucked a few of the flowers behind her ear.

"So you know that I could never forget you, Miley."

Her eyes watered slightly. He hadn't forgotten her! She threw herself into his chest and buried her face in his neck, breathing in his unique scent. She felt him kiss temple before gently resting his head on hers. Slow music suddenly appeared from hidden speakers, startling Miley. She looked up at Jake to find him laughing lightly at her and she quickly let him go, a scowl on her face for being mocked.

Jake held his hand out to her, silently asking her to dance, to which she shook her head and turned her head away from him. She felt his hand slip into hers and gently pull her to him, allowing him to wrap his other arm around her waist while he raised the one currently holding her hand. He slowly started to rock them back and forth. Her resistance was slowly dying with every second, until finally giving up and resting her head on his chest once more.

They danced beneath the sparkling lights, forgetting everything around them but the person in their arms. They swayed gently to the soft music, burning this moment into their minds forever. When the song ended, Jake pulled away from Miley, knowing that this was the moment of truth. The time to tell her had come and he was a complete wreck inside.

"Miley, there's something I need to tell you." Swallowing his heart back into his chest, he took a deep breath. "I…" he drifted off, trying to get his lips to say the words. "I…I…" Miley waited, confused.

"Yes?" He tried again, desperately trying to get his throat to open.

"I…um…" She was waiting on bated breath, hoping he was trying to say what she wished he felt.

"_Yes?_"

He knew she was waiting for him to say something, something that could potentially change their relationship forever. He knew he had to say it, and he had to say it now.

"I…I love…your shoes!"

Jake could have smacked himself. Shoes?! The best he could come up with were her_ shoes_?! God, he was an idiot. Miley looked around awkwardly.

"Oh. Um, thanks…I guess…"

'Get a freaking grip, Ryan. Just tell her how you feel!'

Sucking in a deep breath, he turned to her again, a determined look on his face.

"Wait, no. That's not what I wanted to tell you." He noticed the curious spark in her eyes, telling him that he had her full attention again. "I know it's probably stupid, and you probably don't feel the same way, which is completely understandable because I think I have retarded feelings that probably aren't normal, but I'm falling for you, Miley Stewart, I really am." He didn't notice her gasp of surprise. "I don't think it's quite 'love' yet, but I think I'm getting there, maybe some time soon, even though we've only been together for a few months I already feel this really close connection with you and it's not really a feeling I can ignore-"

Miley crashed her lips onto his, effectively stopping his rambling. After a moment of shock, Jake finally responded to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and roughly pulling her to him, leaving no space between the pair. Her hands threaded through his hair, applying pressure to the back of his head and increasing the friction of their lips. Soon, Miley pulled back and caressed Jake's cheek, staring into the sea-green eyes she dearly missed.

"I'm falling for you too, Jake Ryan."

Jake smiled widely, his eyes sparkling with the same child-like happiness she saw when he was utterly and completely happy. He kissed her again, but this time it was soft and gentle. Her arms wrapped around his neck once more, playing with the fine hairs at the back of his neck, while his settled on her hips. They had finally taken their relationship to the next level and were steadily heading toward the largest step of all – love.


	14. Promises Promises

A/N: Hey all! I'm back (a month and a half later ::cough cough::) and got a new chappie for you guys! All together now: YAAAAAY! Anyways, this one's a bit shorter than the others, but it definitely does NOT lack in content. This was, by far, the hardest chapter I've ever written in my life and it honestly took me about a week and a half to get it absolutely perfect (...er, well, it was the best I could do...). Hope you guys enjoy the update!

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Jake, Miley, Lily, and Oliver spent the rest of the summer together, hanging by Rico's and walking around on the boardwalk. Jake and Miley were with each other almost every day, trying to make up for the months spent apart. Miley ate dinner with the Ryans a few times and was now considered part of the family. Jake played videogames with Jackson and Mr. Stewart once in a while and too became part of the house. 

At Hannah Montana's 'End of Summer Concert' in Malibu, Carley was given a private backstage tour of the facilities, where she promptly began taking pictures of everyone and everything she could find.

A week before school started, Jackson packed up his things and moved to the California State University campus, where he would be attending in the fall. Although Miley was glad that her brother was getting out of her hair, she was also deeply saddened that he was leaving. After a tearful goodbye and promises to come back and visit, Jackson left the Stewarts for college.

Three months later, the four juniors were well into school and hating every minute of it. A lot more homework, worries about SATs, and harder schoolwork had them overwhelmed and busy. They no longer had time for friends as the shadow of college loomed over their heads. Jake and Miley hardly spent time with each other anymore, only during lunch and psychology – the one class they shared.

Thanksgiving was a week away and the four couldn't wait for the break. They'd been working hard and were in dire need of some time off, especially to spend with each other. This weekend was the last before the holidays and both Jake and Miley had plans. They were invited to attend the same party, though neither knew the other was going. It was a celebrity holiday function and both Jake and Hannah were to make an appearance. Sadly, due to the number of people attending, no guests or escorts were allowed to be invited, so Jake couldn't bring Miley and Hannah couldn't bring Lola.

The night of the function, Miley and Lily were in the Hannah closet, scrounging around for something acceptable for Hannah to wear. Lily held up a green sequined dress and showed it to Miley for her approval. Miley looked at it and wrinkled her nose in disgust. Lily nodded and threw the garment behind her, digging once more through the large pile of clothing. Miley glanced at her for a second before looking through the pile again.

"I think I'm going to tell him." Lily looked at her, an eyebrow cocked in confusion.

"Tell who what?" Miley lifted her head and looked at Lily, a small smile on her face.

"Tell Jake how I feel." Lily furrowed her eyebrows, trying to make sense of what Miley said.

"But I thought you already told him?" Miley blushed and bit her lip, avoiding Lily's gaze out of embarassment.

"Well, my feelings may have…_evolved_ a bit…" Lily gasped in surprise, eyes wide and mouth gaping as she finally understood what Miley meant.

"You mean…?" Miley smiled brightly and nodded fervently, barely keeping in her excitement.

Lily squealed loudly and jumped on her, immediately beginning a happy dance. Miley laughed and joined in, finally letting her excitement seep through. After a while they stopped and Lily grabbed Miley's hands.

"I'm so happy for you! When are you going to tell him?" Miley smiled at her enthusiastic friend.

"I don't know, maybe over the break?" Miley's smile fell and her eyes clouded over with worry. "Lily, what if he doesn't feel the same way yet?" Lily smiled softly at her worried best friend.

"Miley, boys deal with their emotions differently than girls do. They have a hard time putting their feelings out there because they think it's not manly to do so. I bet that Jake does feel the same way; whether he says it yet is a different story. If he's not ready, he's not ready."

Miley looked at Lily in awe, wondering when her best friend gained so much wisdom. She smiled and pulled Lily into a hug, thanking her for the advice. The girls pulled apart, smiled at each other, and went back to dress hunting, gossiping about which celebrities would show up that night.

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The party was in full swing when Hannah arrived and, thank God, no paparazzi were in sight. She was in too good a mood to want to have paparazzi ruin it. She easily slid through the crowd, mingling with celebrities and producers like her father taught her. She was glad he didn't come with her tonight, as he tended to be a bit uptight at these kinds of things.

She casually looked around for familiar faces, unknowingly drawing the eye of many males. Her knee-length red dress accentuated her newly acquired curves and her matching red flats showed off her dainty ankles. Her blonde wig was styled straight and her long earrings exemplified her long, creamy neck. Not seeing anyone she recognized, she wandered around the large room in search of people.

Just as she slipped into a lounge, Jake entered the party. His perfect, celebrity smile was plastered on his face as he greeted countless numbers of celebrities. He kissed cheek after cheek and shook hand after hand as he made his way through the crowds. While he caught up with fellow A-listers, he spent half the time wishing he was at home watching a movie with Miley. Or making out with Miley. Either one was fine with him.

After an hour of mingling, he scanned the party for his celebrity friends and found them sitting in a circle of plush couches. He casually approached them and plopped down, exhausted from meeting and greeting everyone. The boys smirked when they saw him and one of them greeted him.

"Hey, Jakey!" Jake scowled at the awful nickname and sneered at the boy.

"Shut up, Avery."

Avery Goodman was the star of the hit television series, _The Computer Chronicles_, and was a walking jackass. Jake didn't like him much, but hung out with him because he couldn't afford to have enemies in Hollywood. On Avery's left, Christopher Harley, the son of hotel billionaire John Harley, snickered at them from behind his hand. Patrick Moore, a fellow teen heartthrob, rolled his eyes at all of their immature behavior. He was the oldest of the group at the age of eighteen, followed by Avery at seventeen, and leaving Jake and Christopher tied at sixteen. Patrick decided to steer the conversation elsewhere before Jake and Avery started a scene.

"How've you been, Jake? We haven't seen you in a while." Jake smiled at Patrick, glad to get away from talking to Avery, and sighed deeply.

"I've been alright. School's hectic, so I haven't had much time to do anything but study." Christopher smirked, looked at the other two, and then at Jake.

"No time for the girlfriend either? What's her name again? Molly?" Jake chuckled at his friend and shook his head.

"Her name's Miley, and no, I haven't had time to be with her." Avery grinned wolfishly, the mischievous sparkle in his eye unnerving Jake a little.

"And have you been…_with_ her?" He wagged his eyebrows in a suggestive matter, causing all the boys to look at Jake, eyes wide in curiosity. Gobsmacked, Jake repeatedly opened and closed his mouth, unsure as to what to say.

"What? No! I – No!" The boys groaned and Avery shook his head sadly.

"I can't believe you haven't screwed her yet! Are you gay or something?" Jake blushed, fuming at Avery's accusation.

"No I'm not gay! Miley and I aren't ready for that yet!" Avery looked him square in the eye and started laughing when he realized what was going on.

"You love this chick! You haven't screwed her yet because you're in love with her! Ha! You are so whipped!" Jake blushed hotly at Avery's words and he quickly began denying everything.

"Wh-what? You must be crazy! I'm not in love with her, and I sure as hell am not whipped. Miley means nothing to me, ok? Nothing!"

The shatter of glass caught their attention and they looked behind them to see what the commotion was. Hannah Montana was staring at Jake as if she'd been struck in the heart by an eighteen-wheeler truck and Jake had no idea why. When she saw him staring back, she quickly snapped out of her daze and bent to the floor, helping the waiter clean up the shards of what used to be her glass of water. She quietly apologized for the mess and excused herself, speedily walking toward the nearest exit.

Jake wondered why Hannah was acting so strangely, until he realized that Hannah was actually _Miley_. He swore loudly when he realized that she had overheard what he'd said to the guys and quickly excused himself to go find her. He darted through the crowd, following the wisps of blonde hair attached to the girl that was nearly running to the exit. No one noticed the two of them leave.

The door to the side alley slammed open and Miley ran down the stairs, grateful that she opted not to wear heals that afternoon. The cool air hit her, but she didn't notice. Jake followed quickly and leaped over the railing, effectively blocking her path. Miley stopped and glared at him. He raised his hands in peace.

"Give me a chance to explain," at her narrowed eyes, he threw in hastily, "_please_." Sighing, she nodded in agreement. He smiled gratefully.

"What I said to those guys was a lie. I care about you a lot and you mean everything to me. I had to say those things because they were threatening to spread rumors and that's something I can't afford in Hollywood." He sighed in relief when he noticed her resolve diminishing with each word. "It's hard being a celebrity, Miley, you wouldn't understand."

He turned away from her, unable to look at her innocent face, not plagued by Hollywood's 'Do what you can to succeed' attitude. Miley smiled softly at him, her heart going out to him, and placed a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Who better to understand than me? I live both worlds, Jake." He shook his head, chuckling at her sympathy.

"It's not the same, Miley. You still have a normal life. You're not tainted by Hollywood – you're still innocent. It's different to date a celebrity than to date a regular person. People already know about their business from the tabloids, so they never ask. But with you, they have to ask because they're a bunch of gossip-hungry assholes who like to know the dirt on everyone; even their friends. It'd be so much easier to date you if you were Hannah Montana all the time."

He cursed silently at his stupid words and turned around when he felt her snatch her hand back, as if she'd been severely burned. She stared at him, a wounded look in her eyes, as her heart tore into millions of tiny pieces. The alley was silent for a few long seconds, until two quiet, pain-laced words slipped through her lips, whispered so softly that Jake had to strain to hear them.

"You promised."

Jake looked at her, confused. He honestly had no idea what she was talking about. Promise? What promise? He wracked his brain for any memory of a promise he made to her and nearly smacked himself when he finally found it.

-FLASHBACK-

"_Miley, what's wrong with you? Why are you walking away from me?" he noticed the wet tracks of tears and softened. "Why are you crying?" She shook her head and looked at the ground._

"_I know you don't want to be with me – I got that. Why would you when you can have_Hannah Montana_," she spit out the name with disgust, "as your girlfriend instead. I'm sorry, Jake, but I can't do that. I can't be with someone who only wants my celebrity half. Telling you my secret was a mistake, and now I have to lose you to pay the price. I'm sorry." She turned to go, but he wouldn't let go of her wrist. He cupped her face in his free hand and made her look at him._

"_Miley, how could you think that I'd choose anyone but you? I liked Miley before I found out she was Hannah Montana, and I _still_ like Miley after I found out. It's just a shock, that's all. It will take time to get used to, but I _will_ get used to it and I will support you no matter what happens – whether it's Hannah or Miley. I promise that I will always choose Miley over Hannah."_

-END FLASHBACK-

Jake's eyes softened as he looked at the fresh tears in her eyes. He needed to fix this, and he needed to fix it now. He cautiously tried to approach her and reached out a hand, beckoning her to come to him.

"Miley…" she shook her head and backed away, looking at him with hurt-filled eyes.

"You promised me, Jake. You promised and you didn't even remember! Always 'Miley', Jake! _Always!_" Her voice rose with every sentence, causing guilt to gnaw at Jake's stomach. He reached for her again, pleading with his eyes.

"Miley, please, it was a mistake…" she shrugged away from him, suddenly angry.

"No! I trusted you and you lied! I told you my secret and now everything's _ruined_! I can't believe I trusted you! I can't believe I lo-"

She let out a growl of frustration for nearly shouting out her feelings and started to walk toward the main street, unable to be near him anymore. Seeing that she was trying to escape, Jake called her name and grabbed her elbow, forcefully turning her to face him. Impulsively, Miley reared back her arm and struck him hard across the face, knocking his head to the side from the force of the blow. The alley turned deathly silent, the last of the slap's echoes reverberating off the walls. She gasped and covered her mouth, shocked at what she had done. Jake slowly turned, looking into her teary ocean blue eyes and not believing that she had actually slapped him. He knew he deserved it, but he never thought Miley to be capable of being violent. He lowered his eyes in shame and spoke softly.

"I didn't mean it, Miley. Honest." Her eyes immediately hardened and her voice turned cold.

"You wouldn't have said it if you didn't," He looked up at her, shocked at her harsh tone, and watched in amazement as she ripped the blonde wig from her head. Tears dripped from her eyes and her voice cracked pitifully as she threw the wig at him.

"I hope you and Hannah are happy together!"

She let out a small sob and took off down the alley toward the street. Jake watched sadly as she turned the corner and disappeared from his sight. He desperately wanted to go after her, to apologize over and over again until she heard him properly, but he knew she wouldn't listen in such a state. He replayed the events from moments before in his mind and he cringed when he saw the look of deep hurt in her eyes.

A cold feeling suddenly entered his lungs, spreading quickly through the rest of his body. He gasped at the painful grip the cold had on his heart and he dropped to his knees, no longer able to feel anything. He suddenly understood that Miley – his amazing, beautiful Miley – was not coming back. He suddenly understood that he was not going to taste or smell or touch her again. He suddenly understood the meaning of being utterly and completely alone.

He didn't feel the small tear slip from his eye as he sat in the cold, damp alley. He didn't feel his throbbing cheek as the sounds of the streets filled the silence around him.

He only felt his heart breaking at the thought that Miley was gone for good.

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Miley paid the taxi driver and ran into the house, not stopping when her father called out to her from the sofa. She raced up the steps and slammed the door, locking it before her father could come inside. She strode over to her closet and pushed aside her clothes, revealing purple doors with an 'H' and 'M' on each side.

She pulled open the doors and started tearing apart everything she could find. Clothes were ripped off their hangers and flung onto the floor; shoes were tossed all over the place; bags were thrown against display cases. She tore awards and framed records from the walls and smashed them onto the floor, sending glass scattering all over. She screamed when she saw a large poster of Hannah displayed proudly on the wall and ripped it violently off the wall, viciously tearing it to pieces.

"This is all your fault! I hate you! _I hate you!_"

She thoroughly destroyed all of Hannah's things, blinded by her own tears and hatred, and didn't care that some of them were irreplaceable. She didn't care that some of them were unique gifts from all over the world. She only cared about Jake, and how he wanted to be with Hannah–freaking–Montana over her.

She collapsed on the floor in a heap, tears of anguish pouring from her pretty blue eyes, sobbing uncontrollably at the awful pain in her heart.

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A/N: OH GOD DON'T HURT ME! Put down the pitchforks people! I know you all probably hate my guts now, but please know that this was the way I was planning on going with this story from the start. I'm terribly sorry that this chapter had to come out on Valentines Day (Blech! I hate this holiday...), but that's just the way it happened. I still hope you guys will be nice and continue to read this story, and maybe kinda sorta hopefully you'll leave a nice review too? If not, I understand. Hope I didn't spoil your 'Day of Love' completely! Till next time! 


	15. Shattered Vase and Broken Heart

A/N: Hey guys. Surprise surprise! It's been less than a month since I've updated! (barely, but its the thought that counts!) These last few chapters have been a bit rough to write, especially since I've never been through a breakup, or all the things that go along with it. Hell, I could be completely BSing my way through this for all I know and it might actually be completely different than what I think. Oh well.

This chapter is wayyy shorter than all my other chapters and for that I'm sorry. It's just that there's not much I can go on for the moment without revealing too much, and this is the only way to keep things organized the way I wanted. But don't let the length fool you - this one actually has more content than the last one (surprising, I know!) and is much more emotional. By the way, after this chapter, there are only THREE MORE CHAPTERS LEFT! (including epilogue, so really, that means there's only TWO MORE CHAPTERS LEFT!) Thank god!

And before this incredibly long author's note gets to the point of annoying, I'd like to present another contest! WOOOOO!

**What chapter did the promise Jake made to Miley take place in? (AKA The chapter the flashback referred to)**

Remember, you must answer the question completely AND leave a review in order to win! And the prize is the next chapter before anyone else gets to see it! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and I'll see you all later!

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It had been two days since Miley had locked herself in her bedroom and Mr. Stewart was worried sick. The first night, he banged continuously on the door, begging her to open up and let him inside. He could hear her sobbing through the walls and he didn't know what to do. The last time something like this had happened was when his wife passed away, and he was no better at handling the situation now as he was back then. He didn't know who to call, since he wasn't sure who caused her such pain and didn't want to make things worse by calling over the wrong person.

After a while, he gave her some space, knowing she wouldn't want it any other way. He thought that maybe she would come out on her own the next day. Sadly, he was mistaken. He'd try to catch her when he'd hear her door slam on her way to the bathroom, but he always missed her by a few seconds. She barely picked at the food he'd leave outside her door, even when he made her favorite dish – breakfast for dinner. By the second day, her room grew deathly quiet, making him even more nervous. At least when she was crying he knew she was ok, but silence meant that she could have hurt herself.

Around six o'clock on Sunday, Mr. Stewart couldn't take it anymore. He had finally found the house's master key and strode down the hall toward her bedroom, ready to take drastic measures. He softly knocked on her door, trying to coax her out one last time. When he got no response, he used his key, the door unlocking with a soft 'click'. He slowly pushed open the door and his eyes widened as he took in the sight of her room.

It looked like a bomb exploded. Things were all over the place; her dresser was knocked over, glass showered the floor, and her lamp was shattered. He carefully stepped into the room, making sure not to trip over the various items littering the floor. As he made his way through, he noticed the doors to the Hannah closet splayed open, its state identical to the room he was standing in. He felt a twinge of anger course through him when he saw many of the one-of-a-kind items smashed and strewn about and was ready to yell, when something on the floor made him stop.

A picture of Jake and Miley was glinting in the setting sun, the glass covering it cracked and broken. He noticed that the pictures holding Lily and Oliver lay untouched and realized the cause of her pain. Just as he was ready to storm out and cause Jake the same amount of pain his daughter was feeling, he heard a small sob from under the corner. Turning, he saw the bed in complete disarray, with crumpled sheets all over the place and a shaking mass under the comforter. He carefully walked over, avoiding any glass, and sat on the edge of the bed. Another sob confirmed his thoughts and he slowly pulled back the covers, revealing a thoroughly disheveled Miley.

Curled tightly in a ball, she clutched the covers protectively, trying to shield her father from seeing her in such a state. Her glassy, red-rimmed eyes were dry, showing that she cried all the tears from her body. Her hair was somewhat greasy from lack of bathing and was no longer bright and bouncy as before. Her nose was red from constantly blowing it, making her look absolutely awful.

Mr. Stewart gently pulled the covers from her grasp, to which she softly protested. She finally relented and looked up in his eyes. His heart broke as he saw his daughter's eyes laced with pain and rejection staring into his. She tried to hold her tears back as she croaked, her voice sore from crying.

"Daddy…" his heart tore more at his daughter's pitiful plea and his eyes softened.

"Oh, Baby Girl…"

She suddenly started sobbing again as he scooped her into his arms, cradling her against his chest. She buried her face into his collarbone and wailed at the torment her heart was going through. She clutched at his shirt, trying to get a grip on something as the world she knew was dissolving before her eyes. It had been almost eight months since she had started seeing Jake and suddenly it was all gone. She had fallen in love with him and as soon as she had, everything went down the drain. He didn't want her – he had never wanted her. He had only wanted her counterpart and he lied straight to her face. But as much as she wanted to hate him, to say she couldn't stand him, she couldn't. She loved him; totally, wholly, and completely loved him with all her heart. She heard love hurt – she just didn't know it would be this bad.

--

The next day at school, Miley was at her locker gathering her books, despite her father's tempting invitation to stay home. She knew that she couldn't hide forever and had to move on, even if it was hard. School was important to Miley's future and the way for her to make a living. Yes, she could always rely on her Hannah money, but seeing as how she currently despised her alter-ego, that wasn't her first choice.

She shut her locker and took a deep breath. She could do this – all she had to do was make it through the day without seeing Jake and she'd be fine. Psychology might be a bit difficult, but if things got too tough, she could always tell her teacher she was having menstrual problems and he'd let her leave class. He always was a bit squeamish about those kinds of things. Lunch was definitely going to be awkward. Lily and Oliver didn't know about the breakup, and if Jake decided to sit with them, she didn't know what she'd do. She figured she cross that bridge when she came to it.

Nodding to herself, she turned to go to class and saw Jake standing across the hall. Blue locked onto green and the world stopped for a few seconds. Miley felt her throat go dry and her heart lurched, trying to reach him. He looked worse for wear; his golden hair looked unkempt, his clothes were wrinkled, and his once bright eyes were now dull and lifeless. He stared at her, regret and sorrow showing in his orbs. Her heart went out to him, until she remembered what he did to her. She broke her gaze and looked to the floor, willing herself not to cry again, and quickly moved down the hall, as far away from him as possible.

A few periods later, Miley found herself back at her locker when she was approached by the new student, Marco Blye. He had just joined Seaview last week and was assigned to be her Physics partner after her old partner, Justine Kleinberg, broke both her legs and became home-schooled. Miley immediately became friends with the somewhat attractive boy and sometimes helped him catch up on the material previously covered before he attended school.

Miley looked up to see Marco standing next to her, holding her physics book that she left behind in her haste to leave. She smiled and thanked him before discussing that night's homework. When they finished, Marco casually leaned against the lockers and nervously stuttered out a question.

"So, um, Miley, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to, uh, go out some time?" She gazed at the poor boy with pity and was about to gently decline, when someone beat her to it.

"Back off. She's with me." Miley whipped around and stared at Jake in disbelief. Marco, taken aback, blinked a few times.

"Excuse me?" Jake growled and stalked toward Marco, glaring menacingly down at him.

"I said, _she's with me_." Marco stuttered nervously and backed away slowly.

"I'm sorry, man. I didn't know…"

Miley looked at Marco, apologizing to him through her eyes, and he left the two alone, visibly shaking the whole way. Miley turned back to Jake, eyes blazing with fury, and roughly pushed him in the shoulder.

"What the _hell_ is your problem!?" she hissed, "Haven't you already caused enough damage?" Jake looked down at her, still angry from his encounter with Marco.

"Well, when my girlfriend gets hit on by another guy, he needs to get straightened out. It's my responsibility as your boyfriend to provide that service!" Miley's eyes narrowed and her lips pursed.

"I was under the impression that we are no longer dating, _Jake_," she spat out his name, her anger overriding her love for him, "So you don't need to provide that service anymore." A look of shock briefly crossed his face and his anger disappeared, instead replaced with regret.

"Miley, please, we can't let a fight ruin the special thing we had. We've been together for almost eight months – doesn't that mean anything to you? Don't throw everything away over something so stupid." Miley felt like she had been slapped in the face.

"Stupid? You think this is stupid? You think breaking promises – promises that are really important to me – is stupid? Choosing the one person who always made me feel inferior over me is stupid?" She closed her eyes and shook her head, willing herself not to cry for the second time that day. "Jake, you must be pretty stupid to think that I could get over what you did. Especially if you think the whole thing is 'stupid'."

She looked up at his sad, sea-green eyes, remembering when they used to look at her with pure, unadulterated joy. Her eyes glazed over with fresh tears and she tore her gaze away, brushing hard against his shoulder and heading toward the bathroom. He watched her go, completely defeated. He knew things would never go back to how they were, and that thought started to slowly kill him inside.

--

By the time lunch came around, news about Jake and Miley's breakup had spread like wildfire. People who had witnessed the heated scene were treated like celebrities as they retold the tale of what they saw. A few girls sympathized with Miley, while most gave fake condolences before stalking Jake around the school.

Miley was sitting at an empty lunch table, picking at the food on her tray, when Lily and Oliver suddenly plopped down and immediately began bombarding her with questions.

"We heard about you and Jake!"

"What happened?"

"Everything was going great – what could have caused this?"

"Are you pregnant?"

Miley and Lily both turned to Oliver, giving him a 'what the hell?' look. He only chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding their looks. Sighing, Miley turned back to her lunch tray, not in the mood to talk to anyone. She glanced up when she heard a pack of squealing girls and suddenly wished she hadn't. Jake was sitting a few tables down from hers and was surrounded by millions of fawning girls. They were stroking his arms and whispering in his ears, each trying to be noticed by the handsome actor. Looking at them made her sick to her stomach and she looked away, feeling even more nauseous when she saw her food.

She quietly excused herself, rejecting Lily's invitation to accompany her, and left the lunch room, never noticing a pair of sad, green eyes following her. Taking a deep breath, she made her way to the nurse's office, ready to call her father and go home. Today was worse than she thought it would be and she didn't think she'd be able to last the rest of the day. Maybe tomorrow would prove to be better. She could only hope.

When she got home, she immediately rushed into her room and locked the door, not wanting to talk to anyone at the moment. Thinking that listening to music would cheer her up, she flipped on her radio to her favorite station and cringed at the song playing through the speakers.

"_You'll always be my thunder, and I said…_" She switched stations, hoping the next song would take her mind off of Jake.

"_I'm stuck on a boy, who fills me with joy…_" Growling in frustration, she switched stations again.

"_I want to taste you one more time again, I'm all over you, I'm not over you…_"

Mrs. McPhillips, the Stewarts' neighbor, yelped when a radio came crashing into her bed of hydrangeas.

Miley slammed her window closed, unaware of Mrs. McPhillips' rants, and flopped onto her bed, emotionally exhausted and prayed that she'd get over that damn boy soon.


	16. Taking the Dive

A/N: Hey there everyone! Long time no see, I know, but it's been quite a busy month. I'm proud to say that my birthday was this past week and I am now officially 18! WOOT! I'm legal! (which means I can get busted for everything I do...:grumble grumble:) Yes, so in addition to that, I've been away on a fabulous spring break vacation, but now I'm back and have provided my lovely readers with this brand spankin' new chapter!

Ah, yes, and two quick notes before I let you go ahead and read your heart out. First, I'd like to congratulate **ttran59** for winning Chapter 15's contest. She's already gotten her prize and I hope she enjoyed it very much. Second, I'd like to explain that although in last chapter's A/N I stated that there would be only two chapters left + epilogue, I have changed my mind and scratched a chapter. Therefore, let it be known that **THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER BEFORE THE EPILOGUE!** I couldn't think of a better way for it to end and prolonging the story would be painful and unnecessary for both me and the readers. Thank you, that is all. Happy reading! (and PLEASE let me get more reviews than last chapter. I know it was short, but _damn_!)

* * *

Jake gazed blankly at the clear blue water, wondering how he got to this point in his life. The most important person in his life totally and completely hated him. The director of Zombie High was close to firing him for his streak of poor acting during the last few weeks. His grades were dropping, causing his parents to get angry at him, and Carley was constantly chewing him up about the break up, calling him an idiot each chance she got. And it all happened in a month.

The water looked cool and inviting, and the thought of never coming up for air again started to sound quite appealing. He continued to stare unblinkingly from his seat on the diving board of Oliver's pool, unaware of anything but his thoughts, while a worried Lily and Oliver watched from the hot tub.

He had been catatonic like this for weeks, moving through life as though in a daze. He talked to no one, ignoring them when they'd try goading him into conversation. His eyes were red from constant lack of sleep, causing his grades to plummet horribly, and he no longer cared about anything in life. His father told him to get over her, but how could he? How could Jake get over someone who had opened his eyes to everything life had to offer and taught him how to live it?

Lily watched Jake as he sat precariously over the water and sighed deeply. The pathetic sight of him broke her heart and she wanted to scream at both him and Miley to open their eyes and see just how much they needed each other. She knew Miley didn't mean it when she said she hated Jake; she knew it was just her pride talking. It was obvious that Miley was still in love with the kid, and if Jake's behavior over the past month was anything to go by, Lily was sure he felt just as strongly.

If only they'd get over that damn fight of theirs and make up already. Yes, Miley had been deeply hurt, but Lily knew that boys couldn't always be held completely responsible for the things that came out of their mouths – they were programmed to be stupid. She was sure that Jake didn't mean what he'd said – he just wasn't thinking properly, and now he sure as hell was sorry about it. Now, normally Lily always sided with Miley, but this time she didn't think she could. Why couldn't her best friend just see that she and Jake were perfect together?

Oliver too watched Jake, feeling sorry for the boy. He'd seen how Jake was moping about and thought that inviting him and Lily over to the house would cheer him up. Unfortunately, it didn't. While Lily and Oliver headed into the hot tub, Jake only climbed onto the diving board, shirt and shorts still on, and sat at its end, his back facing them. Lily had tried coaxing Jake to join them in the hot tub, but Jake didn't respond, only staring at the cold pool water below him.

Oliver turned his gaze to Lily and noticed she was also watching Jake, a worried frown plastered on her face. Feeling Oliver's gaze, she turned to look at him, seeing a matching look of worry. He blew out a sigh of defeat.

"What are we going to do, Lily? He's been like this for weeks and although Miley is our friend, he's our friend too." Lily looked back at Jake.

"Oliver, I don't know if there _is_ anything we can do. We've tried almost everything." Lily closed her eyes in frustration. "Damn it, why can't Miley just see that they're perfect together? Why does she have to be so damn stubborn?!" Oliver chuckled lightly, causing Lily's gaze to snap back to him. "It's not funny, Oliver!" Oliver's chuckle died down.

"Sorry, Lily, but you know how Miley is. She's the most stubborn person we know. You know she won't ever talk to Jake unless she's forced to be in the same room with him; it's just how her stubborn nature works." Lily's eyes widened in excitement and she roughly shook Oliver's shoulders.

"Oliver, that's brilliant!" Confused, Oliver watched as Lily reached behind her for her cell phone.

"Wait, what? What's brilliant? And what are you doing?" Lily scrolled through her phonebook until she found what she was looking for. She glanced back up at Oliver, a mischievous gleam in her eye.

"Getting Miley and Jake back together." Pressing the 'Send' button, she calmly waited for someone on the other line to pick up, smiling when she heard a familiar voice. "Hey, Jackson? I need a favor…"

--

Having just finished probably one of the worst concerts of her career, Miley fell tiredly onto the couch in her dressing room and buried her head in her hands. Although she sang her peppy, upbeat songs perfectly, her voice cracked miserably and tears sprang to her eyes during each song she'd written about Jake. All the time she'd spent trying to get over him was completely wasted during this concert and Miley wanted to scream her lungs out in frustration. How much more heart break could a girl take before God finally gave her mercy?

Everyone was telling her to forgive him, even Jackson, who had come home for winter break, and her father were hopping onto the 'forgive Jake' bandwagon, wanting to see her happy again. She'd explained to them all what he'd said to her and although they agreed with her at first, they soon turned tables and told her to take him back. So what if it had been a month? That didn't change anything. And that stupid, absolutely, totally, completely beautiful poem he'd written her for her birthday two weeks ago was full of nothing but lies, so why should she get back together with him when he only said those things in order to date Hannah Montana?

Lily was the hardest to convince, but when Miley told her that she hated Jake, it finally shut her up. Unknown to Miley, however, Jake had overheard what she'd said, causing him to lose almost all grips to reality he had left.

Cursing under her breath, she slowly pulled herself up from the couch and began changing into her normal street clothes, trying to distract herself from the deep ache in her heart. She gently pulled her blonde wig off her head and tossed it onto a table before grabbing a tissue and wiping the heavy layers of makeup from her face. She was horrified to find her face wet, and when she looked in the mirror, she saw a few tears running down her cheeks. The fact that Jake Ryan could still make her cry after all this time made even more tears fall from her eyes as she realized that she still loved the stupid bastard with all her heart.

An urgent knock on her door startled Miley and, hastily wiping her face of any tears, she beckoned them to enter. Jackson entered the dressing room and, once spotting Miley, began to quickly ramble.

"Miley! There you are! Oliver called and said Lily needs you right now," he began throwing her things into a bag, still going on about Lily. "Apparently she's crying her eyes out and Oliver doesn't know what to do." Worried, Miley too began gathering her things.

"Why didn't she call me? Why'd she try talking to Oliver, of all people?"

Jackson suddenly stopped what he was doing, panic overtaking his face. Lily had not given him an answer to that question and he didn't know what to say without giving away the whole scheme. Looking around for inspiration, his eyes fell upon the bright blonde wig lying innocently on the table.

"Your concert! Yeah, she, uh, knew you had a concert today and didn't want to bother you…" Nodding her head, Miley quickly grabbed Jackson's arm and dragged him from the room.

"Then let's get going! You'll have to take me over there."

Releasing a silent sigh of relief, Jackson followed his sister out the side Stage door and into his awaiting car. Revving up the engine, Jackson slowly backed out of the alley and, after being told to go faster by his sister, stepped on the gas, quickly making their way to Oliver's house. When they arrived at the house, Miley looked at Jackson in confusion.

"Jackson, why are we at Oliver's house? Lily's the one who needs me, remember?" She knocked on his skull, symbolically telling him he was an idiot, and Jackson threw her wrist off of him.

"Lily came over to Oliver's when she knew you were unavailable, smart one." Miley wanted to wipe the smug grin off his face for being bested by him, but instead got out of the car.

"Thanks for driving me, Jackson. This might take a while – you don't have to stay. I'll just walk home when I'm done." Jackson nodded and pulled out of the driveway, a large smirk on his face.

"Might take longer than you think, Sis," and with that, he took off toward home.

As Jackson sped off, Miley climbed the steps to the front door and rang the bell, waiting for Oliver to answer. After a few seconds, she tried the bell again, only to hear no footsteps nearing the door. Remembering that Oliver always kept his back door unlocked, she carefully made her way through his hedge-lined path toward his backyard, unaware of who she was about to see.

--

Jake continued to gaze longingly at the water, wondering if it would offer any form of escape from this disaster his life was currently in. He knew that, if it were to happen, he'd at least want to hear Miley's voice one last time for comfort. A loud, high pitched scream of frustration reached his ears, temporarily breaking him from his comatose-like state.

"What the hell?!"

Jake's head snapped up at Miley's voice, recognizing it anywhere, and almost laughed at the coincidence. She looked really good – much better than he did, anyway. Anger radiated from her body and he knew it was from seeing him. He saw her anger multiply when she looked over at the hot tub and saw Lily and Oliver sitting there, innocent smiles plastered on their face.

"What is _he_," she pointed a finger at Jake as she spat out the word with disgust, "doing here?" Oliver chuckled nervously, afraid of Miley's angry warpath, while Lily calmly explained the situation.

"Jake is here because he was invited." Miley glared coldly at Lily when she realized the call to Jackson had been a set up.

"I can't believe you, my own best friends, would set me up like this!" She turned to look at Jake, a harsh glare in her eye. "You know I can't stand him!"

Jake felt all the air slip from his lungs. Those words hurt more than he thought they would, especially after he'd heard them before. It was one thing to hear them in passing, but to hear them come straight from her mouth was something entirely different. He knew there was no hope left for him to hold on to now, not with that final slice to his heart. Gazing into her angry, blue eyes one last time, two words silently left his lips, causing Miley to do a double take.

"I'm sorry."

Closing his sad green eyes, he leaned off the diving board and plummeted into the water. Wide-eyed, Miley, Lily, and Oliver watched as Jake slowly sank to the bottom of the pool, his heavy clothes weighing him down, and made no indication of coming for air. Large bubbles of air broke the surface, signaling that Jake was purposefully exhaling all of his air into the water. Miley covered her mouth in horror as she watched one last air bubble break the surface before the water stilled and Lily screamed in fear, clutching onto Oliver's arm.

"Oliver, do something! He's trying to kill himself!"

Oliver, who had been frozen in fear while watching his friend slowly die, quickly scrambled onto the ledge of the hot tub and dove into the frigid water. He ignored the goosebumps that broke out over his skin and opened his eyes, searching for Jake. Once he spotted him, he propelled himself deeper into the water until he finally reached Jake's still form on the pool's floor. Jake's golden hair floated about his face, covering his closed eyes, and the pool cast a ghostly blue shadow on his skin and lips. Oliver grabbed Jake under his arms and hoisted him into a sitting position before moving one arm around his chest and kicking off of the floor, carrying Jake's limp body with him. Oliver's leg muscles strained under the additional weight of Jake's clothing and his lungs started to hurt from lack of oxygen, but one look at Jake's pale face had him kicking as hard as he could to the surface.

When the boys broke the surface, Oliver gasped in gulps of much needed air, taking care to make sure that Jake's head stayed above water. He pulled Jake to the edge of the pool, where a now sobbing Lily and Miley cried out at the sight of the limp boy. They quickly grasped onto Jake's arms once Oliver got in reach and hoisted him out of the pool while Oliver pulled himself out. Miley kneeled by Jake's head and frantically felt his neck for a pulse, letting out a loud sob of relief when she felt a faint one reach her fingers. After confirming that the small rise and fall of his chest was breathing, Lily and Oliver quickly ran into the house in search of towels and warm clothes while Miley pulled Jake's freezing wet shirt off his frame.

She began rubbing his body all over, trying to pass her body heat onto him in order to warm up. Seeing that it wasn't working very well, she temporarily forgot her anger towards him, wrapped her arms around his body, and began rubbing him frantically, not caring that she was getting wet in the process. Now crying hysterically, she pleaded for him to wake up, rubbing her hands on his cheeks to stimulate blood flow to his brain.

"Wake up for me, Jake, _please_! Please wake up!"

She stared down into his handsome face and brushed his wet golden hair back, watching as he slowly began to regain color into his cheeks and lips. She pleaded with him again and again to wake up as she ran her small hand up and down his broad chest in comforting strokes. She gasped in surprise when she felt a large hand weakly grasp it, pausing it mid-stroke. Her eyes flicked down to see that the hand belonged to Jake and snapped back to his face to see his bright green eyes slowly flutter open.

Before either could say anything, Jake quickly leaned onto his side and began violently coughing up the water from his lungs, his body wracking from the force. Miley rubbed his back soothingly, letting Jake take his time removing every last drop. Sucking in a shuddering breath, Jake's body collapsed onto the floor from lack of strength. Worried, Miley pulled him back into her arms and gently massaged his throat, allowing his passageways to relax and breathe oxygen more easily. Once he had established a stable breathing pattern, Miley hugged him close to her body, silently thanking God for sparing Jake's life. A small mumble caught her attention and she looked down to see a grin on Jake's face.

"I could wake up to this every morning. Maybe I should try drowning more often." Outraged, Miley dropped him painfully onto the brick-covered ground as his egotistical attitude reminded of her of who she was holding. She ignored Jake's grunt of pain as he hit the ground and stood up, glaring down at him.

"You asshole! Trying to win me back by drowning?!" She shook her head sadly at him. "That's pathetic, Jake, even for you." Jake slowly stood up, enraged at Miley's accusation.

"For your information, I wasn't trying to win you back by drowning! Only complete psychos would do something so despicable!" Miley sneered at him.

"My point exactly." And with that, Miley turned around, intending to leave.

--

Lily and Oliver finally got all the needed supplies and were making their way outside when the noticed that Jake was awake and arguing with Miley. With towels in hand, Lily was about to go through the door and intervene, when Oliver's hand on her shoulder stopped her. Looking at him curiously, she asked what he was doing. Oliver shook his head and gazed out at the fighting couple.

"Lily, this is something they need to work out themselves. We can't intervene." Knowing that Oliver was right, Lily dropped the towels onto the floor and watched as Jake and Miley talked for the first time in weeks.

Outside, Jake was having a hard time controlling his temper with all of the nasty comments Miley was throwing his way. Not wanting her to get the last word, he quickly lashed out at her back.

"You think _I'm_ the psycho? Have you looked in the mirror lately! You're so stubborn that you refuse to accept a sincere apology for a damn mistake! If that's not completely psycho, I don't know what is!" Fuming, Miley turned around and stomped back to Jake, ready to give him a piece of her mind.

"You stupid, egotistical, good for nothing bastard! You think it's _my_ fault that we broke up?! You're the one who broke my heart, Jake, _not_ the other way around!" Jake snarled in fury at her claim that she hadn't broken his heart.

"You have _no_ idea what it's like to have your heart ripped and shred to pieces, Miley, _none_!"

The electricity around them crackled dangerously. Miley narrowed her eyes in pure, unadulterated anger and swung her open palm at Jake's face. Having learned from last time, Jake's fast reflexes caught her wrist mid-swing, yanked her forcefully to him, and powerfully smashed his lips onto hers, all in one fluid motion. She immediately responded with as much ferocity, relishing the wonderful smell of him she missed so dearly. He wrapped an arm around her hips and pulled her closer, trying to feel as much of her as he possibly could. Trying to keep her knees from buckling, she grasped onto his bicep for support and arched into his body, parting her lips and letting his tongue slip through. His hand, still gripping her wrist tightly, loosened as more and more passion pumped into their bodies, and slowly moved upward until his fingers entwined with hers. The simple touch flooded Miley's mind with memories of them together; of her love; of her heartache.

Gasping at the stab of pain in her heart, she roughly pulled herself away from him and shoved his chest, sending him stumbling backwards. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks as she shook in anger for letting her guard down. He gazed in astonishment at her sudden change in attitude, but she ignored it as she began to scream at him.

"You know _nothing_! You know nothing about how long my heart suffered, or how many nights I stayed up crying over you! I want to hate you so much, _so much_, but I can't! My stupid heart won't let me hate you and it's like adding acid to a burning wound!" Shocked at her admission, Jake's eyes softened.

"Then why wouldn't you accept my apology?" Miley gazed at him unbelievably, amazed that he still thought his so called 'apology' could make everything alright between them.

"Because that apology was a complete lie! Everything you said was a complete lie!" Anger coursed through Jake's veins at her lack of trust in him.

"Why can't you believe me?!" Miley's face turned red in fury at his audacity.

"Why _should_ I believe you?!" Without warning, Jake grasped Miley's upper arms tightly, causing her eyes to widen in fear.

"_BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!_" he roared.

Inside, Lily and Oliver's mouths dropped open in complete surprise. They'd been expecting the kiss, but they sure as hell weren't expecting that! Slowly, a large smile replaced their open jaws and they looked at each other, grinning from ear to ear.

Back outside, Miley stared wide-eyed into Jake's sea-green eyes, his outburst catching her off guard. He searched her blue eyes for any type of response to his feelings and slowly let go of her when he found none. Whatever was left of his heart was now gone as rejection shoved its way into its place. Trying to maintain whatever dignity he had left, he swallowed the large lump in his throat and slowly backed away from her.

"I, uh," he cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice from cracking and his tears from spilling, "I should go. I'm sorry...for everything."

Miley watched a tear slip down his cheek as he picked up his damp shirt, threw it over his head, and moved past her to leave. The sight of the mighty Jake Ryan crying was enough proof that his words weren't lies and that his feelings weren't fake. She knew that as great of an actor as he was, he had never cried in front of anyone before and knew that he must be going through a really painful heartache in order for him to do so. Wondering what to do, she noticed Lily and Oliver watching through the glass doors and motioning for her to go after him. Smiling at her friends, she decided to do just that and quickly went after him, hoping he wasn't too far ahead of her. Lily and Oliver shared two identical grins before speeding toward the front of the house, hoping they weren't going to miss the show.

Stepping onto Oliver's driveway, Jake continued cursing himself for getting himself into such a vulnerable state. Hot, angry tears of rejection burned down his cheeks, reminding him why he never bothered with love before. Was love worth it? He wasn't so sure anymore. Looking for something to take out his frustration on, he picked up one of the larger rocks lying on the ground.

"GOD _DAMNIT_!"

He hurled the rock into the distance, not caring where it landed or what it hit. A small hand on his shoulder startled him and he whipped around, ready to tell the person to leave him alone. When his green eyes met blue, all the tension flew from his body. Miley's soft gaze looked over his tear-stained face, upset that she had caused this beautiful boy so much pain and was intent on trying to fix his heart as best as she could. Her fingers gently brushed the tears from his eyes, her own growing moist from the amount of love that radiated from the green orbs. Raising herself up on her toes, she cupped his cheek and softly whispered, "I love you," before capturing his lips in a gentle kiss.

Jake's chest exploded when the words left her lips, raining down on him like shooting stars. One hand weaved its way into her hair, cupping the back of her head; the other lightly grasping her upper arm as he softly pulled her closer to him and explored her mouth with his own. She sighed in pleasure when his tongue slipped through her parted lips and danced with hers. Her fingers played with the damp hairs at the nape of his neck and he let out a throaty groan when she nipped lightly at his lower lip. Needing air, Jake unwillingly parted from Miley and, gazing deeply into her ocean-blue eyes, brushed her unruly curls behind her ear.

"Do you really love me?" Smiling softly at his insecurity, Miley gently stroked Jake's face.

"I really do."

Jake smiled at her and, unable to contain his joy, brought his lips down to hers once more as a low rumble of thunder boomed overhead. Love really was worth it after all.


	17. Epilogue

Miley Stewart bustled noisily around the house, trying to find her slippers without tripping over all of the boxes that littered the floor. The light pitter-patter of the rain caught her attention and she stopped to glance out the window at the slowly darkening sky. Sighing lightly, she continued to search for her elusive slippers and mentally scolded herself for picking an awful day to move.

Finally finding her slippers hidden beneath her bed, she smiled triumphantly and stuffed them in a large cardboard box labeled '_Sleep_'. Having finished that task, she set about packing the remaining knick-knacks in her room, laughing out loud when she discovered her old Spice Girls CD hidden beneath her University of Southern California: Marine Biology diploma. Deciding to take it with her, she stuffed it in her box of CDs and taped the flaps closed before returning back to work. When she got to her dresser, she paused to look at the pictures covering every available surface and smiled slightly as she looked into the faces of her family and friends. Her eyes landed on one picture in particular, causing her face to break out into a large grin.

It was the picture of Lily, Oliver, Jake, and herself at their graduation five years ago, wearing the proud school colors of blue and white. Golden tassels hung on the left of their caps, shining in the sunlight. Their bright smiling faces reminded Miley of the 'good old days', before everyone finally went their separate ways.

Oliver grew into his looks, becoming quite a handsome man during his senior year. After graduation, he moved to the east coast and attended Virginia Tech, where he finally bloomed into the social butterfly he was destined to be. Miley was surprised to hear that he had become the resident playboy at the University, where girls flocked to him like a moth to a flame. Apparently his California tan, charming personality, and handsome looks were a hit with the ladies and it was said that he would sometimes have multiple dates in one evening. He graduated with a degree in automotive engineering and was now interning with the BMW Corporation, where he hoped to permanently work. Miley still talked to Oliver on occasion through email and text messaging, but he was constantly busy with work and couldn't always find the time to talk.

Lily turned into a lovely young woman during her senior year and had finally learned to fit in with her gender. Although she was still a tom-boy at heart, her wardrobe and tastes changed to fit her new girly attitude, catching the eyes of a few males. She never dated anyone, but their continued interest in her boosted her confidence. She attended The University of Texas in Houston, where she met Adam, her boyfriend of three years, and graduated with a degree in business management. The rumor from the Truscott family was that Adam was planning to propose to Lily once he got a promotion in the advertising agency he worked in, which was supposedly coming soon. Miley had met Adam the few times Lily came home for the holidays and knew they were a perfect match. Their goofy and mischievous personalities were too similar to ignore. Although they weren't as close as they once were, Lily and Miley still talked to each other constantly; at least twice a week. Lily would always make sure to stop by whenever she was in town and Miley made the trip to Texas a few times to visit her.

Miley smiled at the memories that resurfaced and placed the picture into the box. Her eyes slid over to the photo of her and Jake on the beach and her fingers caressed the frame lovingly. Her image was straddling Jake's back, her arms linked around the front of his neck as his strong arms held her legs around his waist. Both were smiling up at her and she was compelled to smile back, gliding her fingertips over Jake's handsome face.

Jake and Miley spent two beautiful, love-filled years together. After that day in Oliver's backyard, the two was nearly inseparable and they were known as Seaview High School's 'it' couple. Because Jake's near suicide was due to unreasonable amounts of stress, the four friends decided never to bring it up again with the expectation that if one of them ever reached that point, they would talk to each other instead of withholding their feelings and thoughts. Jake never felt the need to repeat the actions of that afternoon, however, since he always had Miley to make him feel loved and wanted.

During their last summer together before college, Jake and Miley mutually broke off their relationship and decided to remain friends, knowing that long-distance relationships never worked out. Although they loved each other very much, they knew it was for the best and departed with a chaste kiss and a promise to call. Jake moved to France, where he attended the American University of Paris and graduated with a degree in French language and literature. Throughout his education, his acting career grew larger and larger and he was now one of Hollywood's hottest actors, starring in at least one movie a year. How he managed to balance his career and schoolwork was beyond Miley, but she was proud of him all the same. They had tried keeping in touch over the years, meeting up at Hollywood events and celebrity parties while she was still Hannah Montana, but as time passed by their communication became less and less until it disappeared altogether. Miley couldn't blame Jake, though, since USC was a long ways away from Paris.

As Miley looked at Jake's smiling face, she wondered where he was and what he was doing at this very moment. It had been a year since he'd graduated from college and she had no clue what he'd done since then. Running her hands over the frame one last time, she sighed softly and gently placed it into the box with the others. She knew she still loved him – there's no way she'd ever be able to forget her first love – and she wondered what would have happened if they never broke up that second time. Would they still be together? Or would they have drifted apart anyway? Closing her eyes, she tried to keep her thoughts and emotions in check.

'The past is the past,' she thought, 'and nothing is going to change that.'

Packing up the remains of her photographs, she taped the box shut and, deciding to take that box out first, picked it up and headed toward the door. When she reached the door frame, she paused and looked back into her now-empty room. Her gaze flicked to her bare bed in the corner and she smiled softly at the memory of her and Jake making love for the first time. Her eyes moved to the balcony, where Jake had climbed into her room a few times in the middle of the night. Lastly, her blue eyes settled on the once purple and pink doors that had led to her Hannah Montana closet. It was now empty of course, since she had retired Hannah once college began, but the secret that still connected her to Lily, Oliver, and Jake allowed a grin to erupt on her face.

Having had enough memories for a day, Miley quickly exited the room and made her way downstairs toward the front door. The shades were drawn to deter thieves from thinking the house was empty, since Miley was by herself and didn't want to be in danger if a thief did decide to come in. Mr. Stewart and Jackson were out getting the furniture for Miley's new apartment and told her they'd meet her there in a few hours.

Hoisting the box onto her hip to help balance it, she grabbed the door handle and opened the door, revealing a damp Jake Ryan with his hand poised to knock. Miley nearly dropped the box in her hands as she gasped in surprise. He was just as she remembered him – handsome and tall, with a halo of golden hair and bright, sparkling sea-green eyes. He slowly lowered his poised hand and smiled lightly at her, his eyes twinkling with joy at seeing her after so many years.

"Hi."

Miley felt all of the tension in her body slip away as a feeling of comfort swept through. Smiling softly, she leaned against the door frame, box in hand.

"Hi."

Maybe the third time will be the charm.

* * *

A/N: AND THAT'S THE END! GAHHHH! It feels both fantastic and depressing that this fic is finally finished (whoa, alliteration much?) I want to thank you guys so much for your reviews and support of this story - it was flipping AWESOME! Now, to provide you with some Stats...

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Last but not least, I'd like to thank Wolfwhisperer and Aprilrainer15 for being amazing and reviewing every chapter. I'd also like to thank everyone who gave me ideas and feedback for this story and I hope to see you all during my next story! Cheers! 3


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